Thesis
The central theme of Arming America is that America's gun culture arose after the Civil War and that contrary to myth, it did not have its roots in America's colonial and frontier eras. The book holds that guns were uncommon during peacetime in America during the colonial, early national, and antebellum periods, when guns were little used and the average American's proficiency in use of firearms was poor. Bellesiles maintains that more widespread use and ownership of guns dates to the Civil War following advances in manufacturing and a consequent reduction in price and improvement in accuracy.
Read more about this topic: Arming America: The Origins Of A National Gun Culture
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