“And be it further Enacted, by the authority aforesaid, That in case any person who shall be obliged to bear arms, whilst the regiment, troop, or company, to which he shall belong, shall be under arms, or in array, shall neglect or refuse to fire his gun not exceeding six times each muster day, or shall wilfully neglect or refuse to do his duty, or to obey the other lawful commands of his officer, or if any such militia-man be drunk at the time of his exercising, the majority of the officers of the troop or company to which such person belongs, if the offence shall be committed in a single troop or company, or any two field officers of the regiment to which such person shall belong, if the offence shall be committed in a regiment, shall have full power and authority to inflict on the person so offending any pecuniary mulct not exceeding ten shillings Sterling[.]”

1765, GA, An Act for the Better Ordering of the Militia of this Province, §19

The Selective Service System, Backgrounds of Selective Service: Military Obligation. The American Tradition a Compilation of the Enactments of Compulsion from the Earliest Settlements of the Original Thirteen Colonies in 1607 through the Articles of Confederation 1789, Ed. Arthur Vollmer, vol. 2 pt. 4 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1947), 60.

Laws of the Colony of Massachusetts, That notwithstanding the ancient law of the country, made in the year 1633, that no person should sell any arms or ammunition to any Indian upon penalty of 10l. for every gun, 5l. for a pound of powder, and 40s. for a pound of shot, yet the government of the Massachusetts in the year 1657, upon the design to monopolize the whole Indian trade did publish and declare that the trade of furs and peltry with the Indians in their jurisdiction did solely and properly belong to their commonwealth and not to every indifferent person, and did enact that no person should trade with the Indians for any fort or peltry, except such as were authorized by the court, under the penalty of 100l. for every offence, giving liberty to all such as should have license from them to sell, unto any Indian, guns, swords, powder and shot, paying to the treasurer 3d. for each gun and for each dozen of swords; 6d. for a pound of powder and for every ten pound of shot, by which means the Indians have been abundantly furnished with great store of arms and ammunition to the utter ruin and undoing of many families in the neighboring colonies to enrich some few of their relations and church members.

Laws of Georgia, An Act to amend and Continue “An Act for the Establishing and Regulating Patrols, and for Preventing any Person from Purchasing Provisions or any Other Commodities from, or Selling Such to any Slave, Unless Such Slave Shall Produce a Ticket from His or Her Owner, Manager or Employer . . . Be it enacted, That immediately from and after passing of this act, it shall not be lawful for any slave, unless in the presence of some white person, to carry or make use of fire arms, or any offensive weapon whatsoever, unless such slave shall have a ticket or license in writing from his master, mistress, or overseer, to hunt and kill game, cattle, or mischievous birds or beasts of prey, and that such license be renewed every week, or unless there be some white person of the age of sixteen years or upwards in the company of such slave when he is hunting or shooting, or that such slave be actually carrying his master’s arms to or from his master’s plantation by a special ticket for that purpose, or unless such slave be found in the day-time, actually keeping off birds within the plantation to which such slave belongs, loading the same gun at night, within the plantation to which such slave belongs, loading the same gun at night, within the dwelling house of his master, mistress or white overseer: Provided always, That no slave shall have liberty to carry any gun, cutlass, pistol, or other offensive weapon, abroad at any time between Saturday evening after sunset and Monday morning before sun rise, notwithstanding a license or ticket for so doing. II. And be it further enacted, That in case any or either of the patrols, established or to be established within this province, by virtues of the said act, on searching and examining any negro house for offensive weapons, fire arms and ammunition, shall find any such, or in case any person shall find any slave using or carrying fire arms or other offensive weapons, contrary to the intent and meaning of this act, such patrol, or person or persons, may lawfully seize and take away such offensive weapons, fire arms, and ammunition, but before the property thereof shall be vested in the person or persons who shall seize the same, such person or persons shall, within three days next after such seizure, go before a justice of the peace, and shall make oath of the manner of taking thereof, and if such justice of the peace, after such oath made, or upon due examination, shall be satisfied that the said fire arms, offensive weapon, or ammunition, shall have been seized according to the directions, and agreeable to the true intent and meaning of this act, the said justice shall, by certificate under his hand and seal, declare them forfeited, that the property is lawfully vested in the person or persons who seized the same.

Hunting. 1768. § 2. From and after the First day of January next, no person whatever (masters excepted) not having a freehold of one hundred acres of land within this province, or tending ten thousand corn hills, at least five feet distance each, shall hunt or kill deer, under the penalty of ten pounds proclamation money for every offence; and moreover shall forfeit his gun, or have the value thereof; to be recovered by action of debt, bill, plaint or information, by any person who will prosecute for the same, wherein, upon conviction, over and above the said penalty and forfeiture as aforesaid, the defendant shall be committed to jail by order of the court, there to remain, without bail or mainprize for one month. § 5. Nothing herein shall bar or hinder an overseer of a slave or slaves from hunting and killing deer with a gun, on his employer’s lands, or the wastelands of the public, within five miles of the residence of such overseer.

Whereas by the before recited act, persons who have no settled habitation, or not tending five thousand corn hills, are prohibited from hunting, under the penalty of five pounds, and forfeiture of his gun[.]

A Law for the Better Securing of the City of New York from the Danger of Gun Powder. Be it therefore ordained by the Mayor, Aldermen and Commonality of the City of New York, convened in Common Council, and it is hereby ordained by the authority of the same, the from and after the publication hereof, no person or persons whatsoever inhabiting within the said city, within two miles of the city-hall of the said city, shall presume to keep in any house, shop, cellar, store-house, or other place within the said city (his majesty’s garrison and magazine only excepted) any more or greater quantity of gunpowder at one time, than twenty-eight pounds weight (except in the magazines or powder house aforesaid) under the penalty of ten pounds current money of New York, for every offense.

If any person or persons whatsoever shall directly or indirectly give to, sell barter or exchange with any Indian or Indians whatsoever any guns, gunpowder, shot, bullets, lead or other warlike stores without license . . . every such person or persons so offending, being thereof legally convicted . . . shall forfeit and pay the sum of five hundred pounds . . . and shall be whipped with thirty-nine lashes on his bare back, well laid on, and be committed to the common gaol(jail) of the county, there to remain twelve months without bail or mainprise.

[Ordinances of the City of New York, § XII. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the Prices and Rates to be taken by Cart-Men for the carriage of firewood, goods, wares and merchandise, and other things within this city,be according to the rates and prices hereafter mentioned, with out any exactions. . . For every load of gunpowder, to or from the powder-house, not exceeding four casks, two shillings and six pence. If less than four casks eighteen pence. If more than four casks three shillings.]

§ XVI. And whereas the present store-keeper of the magazine with the consent of the corporation, for the more safe conveying of gun-powder to and from the said magazine, hath provided leather bags, or covers, in order to cover all casks of gun powder to and form the said magazine, be it ordained by the authority aforesaid that from and after the publication hereof, no cart-man, or other person whatsoever, do presume to carry any gun powder to or from the said Magazine, or through any part of this city, but what shall be covered with leather bags as aforesaid, under the penalty of forty shillings, for every offense; the one half thereof to the informer, and the other half to the church wardens of this city for the time being, for the use of the poor thereof.

That it shall not be lawful for any Person or Persons within this Province, to sell or give to any Indian Woman or Child, any Gun-powder, Shot, or Lead, whatsoever, nor to any Indian Man within this Province, more than the Quantity of one Pound of Gun-powder, and Six Pounds of Shot or Lead, at any one Time, and not those, or lesser Quantities of Powder or Lead oftener than once in Six Months, under the Penalty of Five Pounds Current Money, for every pound of gunpowder. . .

Ordinances of the City of New York, § VI. And be it further ordained by the authority aforesaid, That if any Children, Youth, apprentices, Servants, or other persons, do fire and discharge any gun, pistol, leaden-gun, rockets, crackers, squibs, or other fire works, at any mark, or at random against any fence, pales or other place in any street, lane or alley, or within any orchard, garden or other inclosure, or in any place where persons frequent to walk, such person so offending shall forfeit for every such offense, the sum of forty shillings, current money of New York; and on refusal to pay the same, shall be committed to the House of Correction, at the discretion of the Mayor, recorder or aldermen, or any one of them before whom such offender shall be convicted, there to remain committed, not exceeding Twenty days; unless such forfeiture as aforesaid, be sooner paid with the lawful fees of commitment; one half thereof to the informer with costs, and the other half to the church wardens of this City, for the use of the poor thereof.

And be it further Enacted by the Authority Aforesaid, That every person who shall import gunpowder into the town of Newport aforesaid shall cause the same to be conveyed immediately to the powder house at the North Easterly part of town, before the vessel in which the said Powder shall be imported, be brought to any Wharf; upon the penalty of paying into the Town-Treasury of the said Town of Newport, a Fine of Ten Shillings Lawful Money, for every cask which shall not be conveyed to the Powder House as aforesaid. That every other person who shall have Gun-powder in his or her Possession and shall neglect or refuse to cause the whole of the same to be conveyed to the said Powder-House immediately excepting 25lb. which shall be kept in a Tin Powder-Flask, shall pay as a fine into the Town Treasury aforesaid, the Sum of Ten Shillings Lawful Money, for every Cask he or she shall neglect or refuse to cause to be conveyed to the Powder-House as aforesaid, and in Proportion for any less Quantity. That no Vessel of War or other Vessel shall take on board any Powder before they go from the Wharf, upon the Penalty of paying a Fine of Ten Shillings Lawful Money, for every Cask so taken on board. And that the Keeper of the Powder-House be allowed the same Fees as heretofore hath been allowed by Law, for delivering out every Hundred Weight of Powder, and in Proportion for a greater of less quantity.

And be it further Enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That no person whatsoever shall fire a gun or other fireworks within one hundred yards of the said powder house, upon the penalty of paying a fine of ten shillings lawful money, for every such offence, to be recovered by the Town Treasurer, fo rthe use of the said Town.

Ordinances of Philadelphia, Act of April 9, 1760, § 7. No person whatsoever shall presume to shoot at, or kill with a fire arm, any pigeon, dove, partridge, or other fowl, in the open streets of the city of Philadelphia, or in the gardens, orchards and inclosures, adjoining upon and belonging to any of the dwelling-houses within the limits of the said city, or suburbs thereof, or any of the boroughs or towns within this province, upon the forfeiture of forty shillings for every such offence, to be convicted in manner aforesaid. – [That is, upon the view of any justice of the peace, or by the oath or affirmation of any one or more witnesses, before any justice of the peace. The penalty, in the latter case, to be one half to the informer, and the other to the overseers of the poor; in the former case, the whole to the overseers of the poor; to be levied by distress of the offenders goods, and for want of such distress, the offender to be imprisoned twenty days.]

An Act to Prevent the hunting of deer, and other wild beasts, beyond the limits of the lands purchased of the Indians by the Proprietaries of this Province, and Against Killing Deer out of Season (1760), § VI. And whereas diverse abuses, damages and inconveniences, have arisen by persons carrying , guns and presuming to hunt on other peoples lands: For remedy whereof, for the future, Be it enacted, That if any person or persons shall presume, at any time after the publication of this act, to carry any gun, or hunt on any enclosed or improved lands of any of the inhabitants of this province, other than his own, unless he shall have license or permission from the owner of such lands, or shall presume to fire a gun on or near any of the king’s highways, and shall be thereof convicted, either upon view of any Justice of the Peace within this province, or by the oath or affirmation of any one or more witnesses, before any Justice of the Peace, he shall, for every such offence, forfeit the sum of forty shillings.

And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That no person whatsoever shall presume to shoot at or kill with a firearm any pigeon, dove, partridge, or other fowl in the open streets of the city of Philadelphia, or in the gardens, orchards and enclosures adjoining upon and belonging to any of the dwelling houses within the limits of the said city, upon the forfeiture of five shillings for every such offense.