Over the years, laws have been revised, added, and repealed. This is very evident in the case of gun laws. According to the Violence Policy Center, there are over 20,000 laws about gun use in effect currently. However, as of 2023, there are around 46,000 deaths by guns a year. This includes suicides, murders, and accidents. We will be exploring a time line of some of the different laws put in place around firearms, and how they do or do not help with the number of deaths from guns. 

First Law:

1930's:

Going forward, around 150 years later, the first national gun control legislation was enacted. In 1934, in an attempt to limit the sale and purchase of firearms, the government implemented heavy taxes on them. After recognizing a continued increase in violence involving guns, four years later, in 1938, the government imposed limitations on who could purchase firearms. Groups such as convicted criminals, people with mental health issues, those struggling with types of addictions, non-citizens, and people with domestic violence restraining orders against them were prohibited from buying guns. The government felt this would be a way to prevent some violence, as they wouldn’t be selling weapons to violent people. However, they didn’t take into account the illegal selling of guns. Although it cut down on the number of firearms sold to violent individuals, it did not get rid of the sales entirely. 

Recent Laws:

Conclusion:

Although, as stated before, there are over 20,000 laws about gun usage, the violence continues. Just last year, there were 40,000 deaths, and that number is growing. It continues to be the leading cause of death for people, even above cancer. The duty of the people is to follow the laws, and the duty of the government is to make them. Some believe that the government needs to implement stronger laws regulating guns, while others think that they should, as the Second Amendment states, have the right to bear arms without the government controlling it. The government continues to make laws, setting restrictions. Gun laws are a great example of how the government continues to try to put restrictions in place to keep its citizens safe.

Sites to Learn More:

Sources:

Annual Gun Violence Data | Center for Gun Violence Solutions. (n.d.). Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Retrieved June 11, 2025, from https://publichealth.jhu.edu/center-for-gun-violence-solutions/annual-gun-violence-data 

A Brief History of Firearms Law. (n.d.). Violence Policy Center. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://vpc.org/publications/cease-fire-a-comprehensive-strategy-to-reduce-firearms-violence/a-brief-history-of-firearms-law/ 

Gramlich, J. (2025, March 5). What the data says about gun deaths in the U.S. Pew Research Center. Retrieved June 23, 2025, from https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/03/05/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-us/ 

Gray, S. (2019, April 30). A timeline of gun control laws in the U.S. Time. Retrieved June 11, 2025, from https://time.com/5169210/us-gun-control-law-history-timeline/ 

Gun Violence. (n.d.). American Public Health Association. Retrieved June 11, 2025, from https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/gun-violence 

Key Federal Regulation Acts | GIFFORDS. (n.d.). Giffords.org. Retrieved June 23, 2025, from https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/policy-areas/other-laws-policies/key-federal-regulation-acts/ 

Longley, R. (n.d.). See a Timeline of Gun Control in the U.S. from 1791 to the Present. ThoughtCo. Retrieved June 23, 2025, from https://www.thoughtco.com/us-gun-control-timeline-3963620 

U.S. Constitution - Second Amendment | Resources | Constitution Annotated | Congress.gov | Library of Congress. (n.d.). Constitution Annotated. Retrieved June 12, 2025, from https://constitution.congress.gov/constitution/amendment-2/