The Birth of the Second Amendment 

The Brown Bess holds the unique distinction of being the firearm that both won  and lost the American Revolution.  

Used by both sides of the war, let’s see how this revolutionary firearm helped lead  the US to the second amendment.  

The Second Amendment was born out of a fervent desire to protect individual  freedoms and guard against tyranny, ideals that were cherished by the nation’s  founders.  

As we mentioned in the episode “The Shot Heard Around the World”, many colonial  laws took precedence from British law, including the one that permitted  communities to organize a militia. These militias not only protected communities,  but also joined with Britian to fight in the French and Indian War from 1754 to 1763.  

When these men returned from the French and Indian War, they recognized the  British aggression directed towards them. And so, they prepared to protect their  communities against the tyrannical laws passed by Parliament.  

When the first shots were fired in Lexington and Concord in April of 1775, the  militia was the only thing standing between colonists and their British oppressors.  Their reliance on personal firearms, including muskets like the Brown Bess and  locally made copies of the Brown Bess, highlighted how important it was for  citizens to have access to firearms to aid the fight against oppression and secure  freedom. 

Over seven long years, Americans fought for their rights and won against the most  powerful empire of its time. Now, the newly independent United States faced the  daunting task of establishing a framework for government. Let’s see how they did  that inpart 2.