Right to keep and bear arms in the United States

In the United States, the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right[1][2][3] protected by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights, and by the constitutions of most U.S. states.[4] The Second Amendment declares:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.[5][6]

Which has an English common law tradition, the concept of a right to keep and bear arms was recognized prior to the creation of a written national constitution.[7]

  1. ^ "Supreme Court affirms fundamental right to bear arms". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2017-09-10.
  2. ^ "Justices Extend Firearm Rights in 5-to-4 Ruling". The New York Times. 29 June 2010. Archived from the original on 12 December 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2017.
  3. ^ "Second Amendment". LII / Legal Information Institute. Archived from the original on 2017-09-11. Retrieved 2016-03-22.
  4. ^ Volokh, Eugene. "State Constitutional Rights to Keep and Bear Arms". UCLA Law School. Archived from the original on 2020-03-05. Retrieved 2013-11-30.
  5. ^ "Second Amendment". LII / Legal Information Institute. Archived from the original on 2017-07-03. Retrieved 2017-06-27.
  6. ^ Young, David E., The Founders' View of the Right to Bear Arms, p. 222.
  7. ^ McAffee, Thomas B.; Quinlan, Michael J. (1997). "Bringing Forward The Right To Keep And Bear Arms: Do Text, History, or Precedent Stand In The Way?". Scholarly Works. Paper 512. Archived from the original on 2019-03-19. Retrieved 2016-06-21.