Arming and Disarming: A History of Gun Control in Canada (Osgoode Society for Canadian Legal History) - Softcover

Brown, R. Blake

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1442626372 ISBN 13: 9781442626379

Publisher: University of Toronto Press, 2013

Synopsis

From the École Polytechnique shootings of 1989 to the political controversy surrounding the elimination of the federal long-gun registry, the issue of gun control has been a subject of fierce debate in Canada. But in fact, firearm regulation has been a sharply contested issue in the country since Confederation. Arming and Disarming offers the first comprehensive history of gun control in Canada from the colonial period to the present.

In this sweeping, immersive book, R. Blake Brown outlines efforts to regulate the use of guns by young people, punish the misuse of arms, impose licensing regimes, and create firearm registries. Brown also challenges many popular assumptions about Canadian history, suggesting that gun ownership was far from universal during much of the colonial period, and that many nineteenth century lawyers – including John A. Macdonald – believed in a limited right to bear arms.

Arming and Disarming provides a careful exploration of how social, economic, cultural, legal, and constitutional concerns shaped gun legislation and its implementation, as well as how these factors defined Canada’s historical and contemporary ‘gun culture.’

About this title

About the Author

R. Blake Brown is a professor of history at Saint Mary’s University.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Toronto Press
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1442626372
• ISBN 13: 9781442626379
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 370