Firearm/Gun Laws in US
(Federal law) At what age can you purchase rifles and shotguns in the US?
18
(No law on possession)
Which state has the strictest gun safety laws?
California (4th highest number of registered firearms)
What are 2 examples of when civil disobedience was used in US history?
Ex. Declaration of Independence, Boston Tea Party, Underground Railroad (runaway slaves), Prohibition, Civil Rights Movement, burning draft cards (Vietnam War), Boston Marathon, Stonewall Uprising (and other LGBTQ+ protests)
More recently: Black Lives Matter, climate/environmental protests, Pro-Palestinian protests, anti-ICE protests
What is one reason people think school shootings are so common in America?
Ex. easy access to guns (permitless carry, presence in homes, etc.), mental health issues (loneliness, bullying, social media, dysfunctional families, etc.), violence in media, etc.
How did Bonnie and Clyde die?
Police shootout (while attempting to flee a roadblock)
(Federal law) At what age can you purchase a semiautomatic gun or handgun in the US?
21
(Can possess a handgun at 18, with exceptions for younger people with written permission from a parent for farming, ranching, etc.)
How many gangs exist in America according to the FBI?
>33,000
What is an example of civil disobedience used during the Civil Rights Movement (Martin Luther KIng Jr.) in the 1960s?
Ex. Marches, sit-ins, walk-outs, freedom rides (on buses), boycotts
What year had the highest number of school shootings (resulting in injury or death)?
2024 (39 according to EducationWeek)
In which US city was Al Capone the mob boss of organized crime?
Chicago
What is the difference between open carry and concealed carry?
Open carry = carrying a gun in a visible manner
Concealed carry = carrying a gun in a hidden manner
*different states have different laws regarding permit requirements for each*
Which states have the highest and lowest number of registered weapons?
Highest: Texas
Lowest: Rhode Island
Is civil disobedience protected by the Constitution?
Yes (technically)
The first amendment protects freedom of speech, assembly, and petition, but if protests turn violent or unlawful, there are still legal consequences.
How many school shootings (resulting in injury or death) were there in the US in 2025?
18 (according to EducationWeek)
What kind of criminal was Ted Bundy?
Serial killer and rapist
What is one example of a prohibited person (who is legally not allowed to possess a firearm)?
Convicted felons, illegal substance users or addicts, people with domestic violence restraining orders, people with certain mental health, illegal immigrants and people on nonimmigrant visas
How many firearms are estimated to be owned by American civilians?
500-540 million
When was the term “civil disobedience" first used (year or time period)?
1849
by Henry David Thoreau, who refused to pay taxes to protest slavery
Which state has the highest rate of school shootings to student population in the US since 2008? Highest number overall?
Highest ratio: Washington D.C.
Highest number overall: Texas
What kind of criminal was Jeffrey Dahmer?
Serial killer (cannibal and necrophiliac)
How many states do not require background checks on all gun purchases?
30
(Federally required for any business, but no law on private sales)
What percentage of Americans think gun laws should be more strict, less strict, and kept as they are now?
More strict: 56%
Less strict: 10%
Kept the same: 33%
What is 1 of the 3 core qualities of civil disobedience?
the law must be broken peacefully
the law must be broken publicly
the person must be willing to suffer the legal penalty
How many states have had no school shootings between 2008 and 2025.
4: Montana, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Vermont
How did Theodore Kaczinsky (aka the Unabomber) terrorize American society?
Planting and mailing bombs to random places and people