Massachusetts
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Welcome to the Massachusetts Collection
The Massachusetts Collection serves as a repository for academic and research materials related to the history, culture, and regional developments within Massachusetts. This Collection provides a valuable resource for researchers, students, and professionals exploring the historical significance and cultural evolution of this prominent state.
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Item Open Access 1 Mass. Bay Recs. At 190 (travelers, 1631)(General Publisher, 1631)Ordered that no person shall travel to Plymouth without some arms.Item Open Access 1 RECORDS OF THE GOVERNOR AND COMPANY OF THE MASSACHUSETTS BAY IN NEW ENGLAND 190 (Nathaniel B. Shurtleff ed., 1853) (enacted 1637)(General Publisher, 1636)No person shall travel above one mile from his home, except where other homes are near each other, without some arms. Violators fined "12d" for each violation.Item Open Access 1 The General Statutes of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Enacted December 28, 1859, to Take Effect June 1, 1860 (2d ed., William A Richardson & George P. Sanger, eds.) 255 (1873)(General Publisher, 1859)Appointed six individuals in each county for proving of musket barrels and pistols. Proven arms are stamped by the appointed officials.Item Open Access 1647: Laws and Liberties of Massachusetts, reprinted in The Laws and Liberties of Massachusetts 28 (Harvard Univ. Press 1929)(General Publisher, 1647)Prohibited the repairing, selling, and giving of “any Indian” a gun, ammunition, or armour, punishable by fine.Item Open Access 1692 Mass. Acts and Laws no. 6, pp. 11-12(General Publisher, 1692)Prohibited riding or going armed offensively to cause fear or affray of the people.Item Open Access 1693 Mass. Acts 48, An Act for Regulating of the Militia, ch. 3, §§ 1, 5(General Publisher, 1693). That all male persons from sixteen years of age to sixty, (other than such as are herein after excepted), shall bear arms, and duly attend all musters and military exercises of the respective troops and companies where they are listed . . . § 5 That every listed solider and other householder (except troopers) shall be always provided with a well fixed firelock musket, or musket or bastard musket bore . . .Item Open Access 1694 Mass. Laws 12, no. 6, An Act for the Punishing of Criminal Offenders.(General Publisher, 1694)Further it is Enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every Justice of the Peace in the County where the Offence is committed , may cause to be staid and arrested all Affrayers, Rioters, Disturbers, or Breakers of the Peace, and such as shall ride or go armed Offensively before any of their Majesties Justices, or other Their Officers or Ministers doing their Office or elsewhere.Item Open Access 1717 Mass. Acts 336, An Act For The Better Regulation Of Fowling(General Publisher, 1717)That if any person or persons shall, at any time after two months from the publication of this act, make use of any boat, canoe, float, raft or other vessel, wherewith to approach to, and shoot at any waterfowl, in any part of this province, he or they so offending, shall each of them forfeit and pay, for every such offence, the sum of forty shillings to the informer. And every such offender shall be, and hereby is prohibited and restrained from using a gun to shoot at waterfowl for the space of three years next after his offence, upon the like penalty of forty shillings for each time he shall presume so to offend, to be disposed of in manner as the forfeiture aforementioned.Item Open Access 1728 Mass. Acts 516, An Act for Repealing an Act Entitled, “An Act For The Punishing And Preventing Of Dueling,” and for Making Other Provisions Instead Thereof, ch. 5.(General Publisher, 1728).That whoever from and after the publication of this Act shall be so hardy and wicked as to fight a duel, or for private malice, displeasure, fury or revenge, voluntarily engage in a rencounter, with rapier or small-sword, backsword, pistol or any other dangerous weapon, to the hazard of life, mayhem, or wounding of the parties, or the affray of his Majesty's good subjects, although death doth not thereby ensue; or shall by word, message, or any other way, challenge another to fight a duel, or shall accept a challenge, although no duel be fought, or shall any ways abet, prompt, encourage or seduce any person to fight a duel, or to challenge another to fightItem Open Access 1749-51 Mass. Acts 339, An Act for Preventing and Suppressing of Riots, Routs and Unlawful Assemblies, ch. 12.(General Publisher, 1751)if any Persons to the Number of Twelve or more, being Arm’d with Clubs or other Weapons, or if any Number of Persons consisting of Fifty or upwards, whether armed or not, shall be unlawfully riotously or tumultuously assembled; any Justice of the Peace, Field-Officer or Captain of the Militia, Sheriff of the County or Under-Sheriff, or any Constable of the Town, shall among the Rioters, or as near to them as he can safely come, command Silence while Proclamation is making, and shall openly make Proclamation in these or the like Words,Item Open Access 1750 Mass. Acts 544, An Act for Preventing and Suppressing of Riots, Routs and Unlawful Assemblies, ch. 17, § 1(General Publisher, 1750)Prohibited the carrying of a club or other weapon while unlawfully, riotously, or tumultuously assembling. Punishable by seizing the weapon and a hearing before the court.Item Open Access 1757 Mass. Acts 323, An Act in Addition to the Several Acts of This Province for Regulating the Militia, ch. 12(General Publisher, 1757).. That the Captain or Chief Officer of each military foot company, shall instruct and employ his Company in military exercises six days in a year . . . and on each of said days he shall make a strict enquiry into the state of the arms and ammunition of his Company . . . that every person from the age of sixteen to sixty, not exempted by law, shall appear with arms and ammunition according to law, and attend his duty each of the aforesaid days. . .Item Open Access 1775 Mass. Acts 15, An Act For Forming And Regulating The Militia Within The Colony Of The Massachusetts Bay, In New England, And For Repealing All The Laws Heretofore Made For That Purpose, ch. 1, §§ 1,7,9.(General Publisher, 1775)§ 1. . . That that part of the militia of this Colony, commonly called the Training-Band, shall be constituted of all the able-bodied male persons therein, from sixteen years old to fifty [excepting Quakers and others]. . . § 7. . . That each and every officer, and private soldier of said militia, not under the controul of parents, master, or gaurdians, and being of sufficient ability therefor, in the judgement of the select-men if the town wherein he has his usual place of abode, shall equip himself, and be constantly provided with a good firearm. . . § 9 . . . That the clerk of each and every company of said militia, shall . . . take an exact list of his company, and of each man’s equipment respectively. .Item Open Access 1780 Massachusetts Constitution Pt. First, Art. XVII(General Publisher, 1780)Declared a right to bear arms for the common defense, and that standing armies are dangerous to liberty in times of peace and shall not be maintained without the consent of the legislature.Item Open Access 1783 Mass. Acts 37, § 2(General Publisher, 1783)Prohibited the possession of any “fire arms,” and among other devices, loaded with any gun powder. Punishable by forfeiture and sale at public auction.Item Open Access 1786 Mass. Acts 87, ch. 38(General Publisher, 1786)Prohibited being armed with clubs or other weapons while in a group of twelve or more and "unlawfully, routously, riotously, or tumutluously assembled."Item Open Access 1786 Mass. Laws 346, §§ 1-2, An Act to Prevent Routs, Riots, and Tumultuous assemblies, and the Evil Consequences Thereof. § 1(General Publisher, 1786)Be it therefore enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, That from and after the publication of this Act, if any persons to the number of twelve, or more, being armed with clubs or other weapons; or if any number of persons, consisting of thirty or more, shall be unlawfully, routously, riotously or tumultuously assembled, any Justice of the Peace, Sheriff or Deputy-Sheriff of the county, or Constable of the town, shall, among the rioters, or as near to them as he can safely come, command silence while proclamation is making, and shall openly make proclamation in these or the like words:Item Open Access 1795 Mass. Gen. Laws 454, ch. 2, § 2; 1795 Mass. Acts 436, ch. 2(General Publisher, 1795)Commanded justices of the peace to arrest "all affrayers, ruiters, disturbers, or breakers of the peace, and such as shall ride or go armed offensively, to the fear or terror of the good citiens of this Commonwealth."Item Open Access 1801 Mass. Acts 507-08, An Act to Provide for the Storing and Safe Keeping of Gun Powder in the Town of Boston, and to Prevent Damage from the Same, ch. XX § 1(General Publisher, 1801)§1... That all Gun Powder imported and landed at the port of Boston, shall be brought to and lodged in the Powder House or Magazine in said town, and not elsewhere, on pain of confiscation of all Powder put or kept in any other house or place...Item Open Access 1804 Mass. Acts. 111, ch. 81, An Act to Provide for the Proof of Fire Arms Manufactured Within this Commonwealth.(General Publisher, 1805)Requiring appointment of two per county for the inspection of barrels. Barrels required inspection under varying charges of powder and at varying degrees of elevation. Proven barrels are stamped post-inspection. Failed barrels fined thirty cents. Failed pistols fined twenty-five cents. Unproven barrels & pistols fined at ten dollars.