Did Queen Elizabeth I Support Gun Control?

This presentation introduces teaching resources that engage students with the history of firearm regulations in England, encouraging them to consider a longer historical context for the gun control measures that spark political controversy in the US today. Focusing on Elizabeth I’s edicts concerning handguns, this module provides structured activities to help students find, read, and contextualize primary sources that sought to regulate guns, including their length, how they could be transported, who could own them, and where they could be fired. Instructors can use this module to help undergraduates learn to use the Early English Books Online database as they engage with questions about the long history of gun regulation and gun violence.