Includes bibliographical references (pages 255-275) and index.
SUMMARY OR ABSTRACT
Text of Note
This provocative book debunks the myth that American gun culture was intentionally created by gun makers and demonstrates that gun ownership and use have been a core part of American society since our colonial origins. Proves that widespread gun ownership and gun violence existed in early America. Argues that revisionist claims of the last two decades about American gun culture are false. Provides a detailed account of how Revolutionary American governments contracted for guns. Shows how the American gun industry met private demand and led to an entirely new way of making almost all of the manufactured goods we take for granted today.