... large segments of the population, mainly Protestants, caused popular resistance and helped to implant the idea that the right to own arms was of fundamental political importance. By the eighteenth century possessing arms, for both personal protection and to counter balance political oppression, was viewed as a basic right in England and the new colonies. Much of American law comes from ... English values, legal concepts and traditions. Sir William Blackstone, whose Commentaries on the Laws of England greatly influenced American legal thought both before the American Revolution and into t...

• Word Count: 2786
• Approx Pages: 11
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate