Origins and Historical Antecedents of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution

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The origins of the Second Amendment can be traced to ancient Roman and Florentine times, but its English origins developed in the late 16th century when Queen Elizabeth I instituted a national militia in which individuals of all classes were required by law to take part to defend the realm. Although Elizabeth’s attempt to establish a national militia failed miserably, the ideology of the militia would be used as a political tool up to the mid-18th century. The political debate over the establishment and control of the militia was a contributing factor in both the English Civil Wars (1642–51) and the Glorious Revolution (1688–89).

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