Thread by @TRHLofficial

The Second Amendment was inspired by British plans to disarm every American.

A part of you probably already knew this, but didn’t have the details.

I’m about to chill you to the bones And give you every piece of evidence you need moving forward. So buckle up.

It began In 1768, “the freeholders” led by John Hancock and James Otis, met in Boston at Faneuil Hall and passed several resolutions. Including “that the Subjects being Protestants, may have Arms for their Defense.”

The royal governor rejected this proposal.

So this petition was circulated under the pseudonym “A.B.C.” (Who was more than likely Sam Adams)

Shortly after Sam Adams’ petition was circulated, per the Boston Evening Post, (Oct. 3, 1768) British troops took over Faneuil Hall.

And per The New York Journal, (Feb. 2, 1769) they ordered colonists turn in their guns.

Sam Adams would write about this time later that month saying, “it is said orders will soon be given to prevent the exportation of either navel or military stores, gun-powder, to any part of North-America.”

In another article he signed “E.A.”, Samual Adams went on to recall, “The right of having and using arms for self-preservation and defence.” Under the auxiliary subordinate rights of the English Bill of Rights

Shortly after, As you may recall in 1770 protesters “armed with sticks” we’re shot dead in the streets of Boston during the Boston Massacre.

It would be 4 years before the first physical attempt to disarm the Colonists would be tried and would fail, per the Massachusetts Spy, Sept. 8, 1774

Now this next part is the piece that really makes my skin crawl

In an affidavit, a man name Thomas Ditson testified that an Undercover British soldier pressured to him to buy a gun he had. When Ditson caved, a group of British soldiers appeared and he was tarred and feathered.

Per the Connecticut Courant, April 3, 1775, ammunition seizures followed.

This was followed shortly there after by the widely published American account of April 19, 1775, when a British officer shouted:

“Disperse you Rebels—Damn you, throw down your Arms and disperse.”

Then per the Connecticut current, a Gen. Gage decided to change the British tune. See, They just wanted to hold the guns for a little bit “for safe keeping” and then they promised to return them.

“And that, the arms aforesaid at a suitable time would be return’d to the owners.”

Bostonians proceeded to turn in 1778 muskets, 634 pistols, 973 bayonets and 38 blunderbusses.

Because some Bostonians have always been this stupid.

In June of 1775 General Gage declared martial law and offered to pardon to all who would lay down their arms—

except Samuel Adams and John Hancock.

Seriously How fukin badass were these men.

Per the (Connecticut Journal and New-Haven Post-Boy, June 21, 1775)

The Gazettes in Virginia and Maryland both reported more attempts to confiscate weapons through the summer of 1775.

Now, the Continental Congress adopted “The Declaration of Causes of Taking Up Arms”, July 6, 1775.

This was drafted by Thomas Jefferson and John Dickinson, and to be perfectly honest, we should probably know as much about it as we do the founding Documents. Wonder why we don’t.

In 1777, British General William Knox, under British Secretary of State, circulated a proposal entitled “What is it to be Done with America?” Along with the unlimited power to tax and an official Church, what else did he propose? You guessed it. YET AGAIN. Gun confiscation.

This time it was too late. The colonists were at war. The damage had been done.

Entrapment.
“safekeeping.”
Banning imports.
Direct seizure.
Tarring and feathering.

And finally shooting persons bearing whatever they say is “arms”.

As I watch Congress bloviate today over ways to disarm us, I’m reminded of all these ways the British tried to do the same thing 250 years ago. And how that congress fought to save us from the common enemy.

Now it seems many of them are the enemy.

So what do we do?

We learn from our past.

Sam Adams had always drawn the connection that those who wanted to disarm us, also fiercely wanted to stop us from petitioning our grievances.

I believe there’s more power in petitioning grievances than we realize. And this is why the founders enshrined it in the first amendment—

Before the second amendment.

So I don’t know but I think that’s a good place to start.

/end

Sourcing from the archives of Boston Evening Post, Boston Gazette, Massachusetts Spy, Massachusetts Gazette, Connecticut Courant, Essex Gazette, Connecticut Journal, Virginia Gazette, and The Independent Institute.

More sourcing

This Highly recommended book:

amazon.com/Writings-Samue…

A Declaration for the Causes and Necessity of Their Taking Up Arms.

avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/a…

More on General Knox

jstor.org/stable/1121617

More on the Freeholders

quod.lib.umich.edu/e/evans/N09690…

Thomas Ditson Deposition

digital.lib.niu.edu/islandora/obje…

Boston massacre

constitutioncenter.org/amp/blog/on-th…

timeline independent.org/publications/a…

General gage biography
britannica.com/biography/Thom…