Date

3-22-2024

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)

Chair

Troy Kickler

Keywords

Second Amendment, History of Gun Rights, Ideology Firearms Ownership

Disciplines

History

Abstract

The ratification of the Constitution in the late eighteenth century was based on a series of political debates in many of the states. States and their individual constitutions, passed during the founding decade, were a direct influence on the United States Constitution, and through the ratification process, the Bill of Rights. Pennsylvania was a direct and important contributor to this process. Centrally located in the English colonies as well as the location of the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, Pennsylvania was truly a keystone for the American Revolutionary period. Furthermore, the unique history of Pennsylvania directly contributed to the inclusion and development of many rights, especially the right to bear arms. Ironically, Pennsylvania, founded by pacifist Quakers based on religious freedom, contributed significantly to the right to self-defense. The Quakers abdicated their governmental role to avoid being responsible for any violence, which privatized the role of self-defense to localities and individuals. Since inalienable rights do not exist in a vacuum, many of the concepts of natural rights were adopted by the Quaker sect and instilled in the Pennsylvania colony in the original charter of William Penn. The debate about the right to bear arms, as represented by the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights has been studied through legal and historical lenses. A closer look at the history and contributions of Pennsylvania provides a clearer picture of the Second Amendment, its original intent and purpose, as well as its historical significance.

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