Abstract
This Thesis begins by discussing the current status of Second Amendment jurisprudence in the Supreme Court, followed by a brief history of fundamental shifts in American legal philosophy following the Civil War and the Reconstruction Amendments that ultimately altered Americans' understanding of Federalism and the role of the national government. These legal developments, along with 19th-century and early 20th-century firearms laws, laid the foundation for the federal government to enact national legislation. The Thesis then explores a brief history of the Prohibition era, organized crime syndicates, and the growing crisis of violence that the American public faced. Next, the Thesis looks at the Roosevelt Administration’s response and how the federal government supported the first federal gun control bill, The National Firearms Act of 1934, along with other New Deal-era crime measures. Finally, the Thesis analyzes the passing of the legislation, its legacy, and legal challenges. Together, this presents a more complete narrative of how the politics of gun control were tied directly to the New Deal and Progressive ideology, how the first National Firearms Act was a successful measure aimed at addressing rising crime and extremely dangerous weapons, and how the NRA and other Pro-gun interests were working for the public good and not the legislative saboteurs they appear to be today.