passed by the US Congress on September 13, 1994,
signed into law by US President Bill Clinton on the same day
expired on September 13, 2004

Argued December 3, 1996
Decided June 27, 1997

parts of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act violated the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

passage in 1984

provides sentence enhancements for felons who commit crimes with firearms if they are convicted of certain crimes three or more times

enacted June 3, 1916

updated the Militia Act of 1903

expansion of the Army and the National Guard, the creation of an Officers’ and an Enlisted Reserve Corps, and the creation of a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps

Jan 21, 1908

created an early National Guard and codified the circumstances under which the Guard could be federalized

Unorganized Militia

which included all able-bodied men between ages 17 and 45

Organized Militia

which included state militia (National Guard) units receiving federal support

Argued November 23–24, 1885
Decided January 4, 1886

the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution limited only the power of Congress and the national government to control firearms, not that of the states, a

 “Unless restrained by their own constitutions, state legislatures may enact statutes to control and regulate all organizations, drilling, and parading of military bodies and associations except those which are authorized by the militia laws of the United States.” It states that the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution limited only the power of Congress and the national government to control firearms, not that of the states, and that the right to peaceably assemble was not protected by the clause referred to except to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

Argued March 30 – April 1, 1875
Decided March 27, 1876

rules that the Second Amendment does not guarantee an individual right to keep and bear arms

enacted July 17, 1862

African-Americans to participate as war laborers and soldiers

The first Act, passed May 2, 1792

authority of the president to call out the militias of the several states

“whenever the United States shall be invaded, or be in imminent danger of invasion from any foreign nation or Indian tribe”

The second Act, passed May 8, 1792

provided for the organization of the state militias. It conscripted every “free able-bodied white male citizen” between the ages of 18 and 45 into a local militia company. (This was later expanded to all males, regardless of race, between the ages of 18 and 54 in 1862.)

Militia members, referred to as “every citizen, so enrolled and notified”, “…shall within six months thereafter, provide himself…” with a musket, bayonet and belt, two spare flints, a cartridge box with 24 bullets, and a knapsack. Men owning rifles were required to provide a powder horn, ¼ pound of gunpowder, 20 rifle balls, a shooting pouch, and a knapsack

Some occupations were exempt, such as congressmen, stagecoach drivers, and ferryboatmen.