Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Gun Country: Gun Capitalism, Culture, and Control in Cold War America
Gun Country: Gun Capitalism, Culture, and Control in Cold War America
Gun Country: Gun Capitalism, Culture, and Control in Cold War America
Ebook548 pages15 hours

Gun Country: Gun Capitalism, Culture, and Control in Cold War America

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

()

Read preview

About this ebook

Just as World War II transformed the United States into a global military and economic superpower, so too did it forge the gun country America is today. After 1945, war-ravaged European nations possessed large surpluses of mass-produced weapons, and American entrepreneurs seized the opportunity to buy used munitions for pennies on the dollar and resell them stateside. A booming consumer market made cheap guns accessible to millions of Americans, and rates of gun ownership and violence began to climb. Andrew C. McKevitt tells the history of this gun boom through the dynamics of consumer capitalism and Cold War ideology, the combination of which resulted in a vast number of Americans arming themselves to the teeth and centering their political identity on their guns.

When gun control legislation emerged in the 1960s, many Americans, accustomed to the unregulated postwar bounty of cheap guns and fearful of Soviet invasion, domestic subversion, and urban uprisings, fiercely challenged it. Meanwhile, gun control groups were diverted from their abolitionist roots toward a conciliatory, fundraising-focused strategy that struggled to limit the stockpiling of firearms. Gun Country recasts the story of guns in postwar America as one of Cold War and racial anxieties, unfettered capitalism, and exceptional violence that continues to haunt us to this day.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 18, 2023
ISBN9781469674971
Author

Andrew C. McKevitt

Andrew C. McKevitt is assistant professor of history at Louisiana Tech University.

Related to Gun Country

Related ebooks

United States History For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Gun Country

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings

0 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    Gun Country - Andrew C. McKevitt

    4.ebook_preview_excerpt.html}rGdÚdVRͫL2I@j!*3*b_mmn;ڟ/Y?="3 ۬[$2##<܏W믿j_x]|<> /Փ/僯v~x,9xvdˏ7g)~v^&O.Ow2P~wyr'oO;w'7mmzMJ\SyoĮ>zw,ywzv>I?z$9oY.paQ$M\um"͝WǾ͗{M*k6\ӄ |Ur㚪Noe0uF~֙类qCWpi7rO]oɿ䶝o񂇥o4塬˓+YYoN>||}&|}zq7afUK/}%eeĿ:\,I#W\&W.2LAhN&_wy]LVn].k2{O59Ңde+y,_W|Oq|S^&gGGߣgOM^'/=?鋧Ͼ|!~ Ud-Cn>w_>O>s'WAQ>8wa58?9ۮnǏdpTl1-oƻaT|w<,|uULk]pmOduxc+{N/ W/+ӫãï/dS|}H#\Z6Yrutzr~tHMalK_[/%mRAI Jg_>y"rAQ'OxD|Ž|$M;n^"u/4:_w_/e7N.E%^%'ɛ䳃{go]$7Ei;Ds}r|w"{sqy sz?ʗ_6nN%2{'ߟ$22䃨k+0|\&P~*p~ۓo?H\^K0 ~~sz_?z/F.cCq}Tlخ~Bq}@D+&Pj0sWלȳWr(ɪο9ysxt)#WT}Ϋe՝\x?h7~B,NC2 {d'@Or?9"{T\[Y]WۧbD;14Ʌh3c~\g_j{gz5Mx]gbW=׫%oz塁`L~Vn.9[aRz(UNYL|>0#ylEw^h,]Z/bC3\[ꚮ-!ΐ;_ +p]knEWwS,}u%Ͼ?3 ||2樖:w#eE~V\x){$",ŹߴA??v[ʤӫxydҨy&+3>5k]ryN0Djc.u-֮_ |!赽iUYU.=(@tsE?utzh|hc%%dFԕ 1lbostd)[6^ =n!!Z͗D9C|)+K9V @( N~98dwbp9jB}Wـd5IsYWT|&m^mR.p|! V^:Y,|Vy*N?ɀ 0 _0e 2K5 z#E{!k/+kUX|(~!c ϶K\c//=X,U=+ě\du/S Ǻ^tyLm[\4N\YSJd(G.wk-EJo!o%[KZ;!Sޮ1D>qK'ƾl?.o l?yj|5F,Ðٓ>p].Z,rHusG1=,ϥxkuQWpyi]]tDE̾|͈ BTur|髺?<3ZBԖVuUӪ!Oء9\S!|f='2 Xtk&,6Oكf{?ע*(iFT+0ԯXrh.Mbf-&PXvhKmBƤvZd0n./B-Ɛ:#e_ˌGÀ=[@m ;PBn,\"ZU!wZ6_(;a)[C,X nbH;ylO|+L2v+4 Xt-w] D*K);*hvm JS%dԌAR6i\}0íV5'Kr0_,쫢pBH3E@MuٰCE9I7 g}0BYR B*c_i9Q<%U~34W.+# 5i#Bo͢ /kxS~L!Yr݈K@ꡩlv+ڦ_ .jj $pG&< r?SoC5U[yl1Px+gr[s}kaP}a?q?xjU9ljR̾LxpzERv@&{\dHGS׆g QT?3V] a+݂S$ כf%B$ ew%XrFI|4UWe(7Y7@(2'tq[6#R&i/KUx`-is~ž+S cLj.>O~G) ԭS$x: ,,$TLi +XyR!ݟl`$˓#e' 3nsZ/7LX`%e鯘ƗVn5hg#i>|r G@GJ\P}f y,[Ue9vieeD$ V9$d^c@+ʲWj^3eT$">F|wa%QPUC^^%&?-6~teil[2)kY(r%*JLnQZ[Q}*8CP*/0lCnVO[} B^[΂n}[¨ #(ǭlY=on3 :8lݣ4-B{bj \̑I.[;);zps?\Z/{EQϒSѿ*:^E)[P̟,0>SI8AKPsqC>6K?8!*r, ']5.EW _#R3K9y綥jz(k/-+)H!bZaTdE}C CZD,"P-\"+N!"RIol5iTfD\ [ dSz[H+@8:\.J%_kZAl ج-̣XFIy2Dj,sQJ5 A=ַI'aWpw(.uqm /R|,$V8̫kIr Q2 š/l(L#Bp18(v;lXrt5%-{i%ՉHuGc%?1ۍ$XMFD Njmӭ&eo[/%s%MEޘ'zM:UM3A/LЙ^N X|YϲrfpF.P` D5_nDA✬}ϸH{}TP=k .-E>.pLy~[F^A&\ ,,2cr*Z!yI4uw8̼Y/\3ڮK](K_yiĶG}`3n`‰Kĭ~٫!5 r)~|fJxtQ?$v;m8dwZ$1`\L*^ASpIa'qV`=iMykĞmRUXrI[bVDL(mY,`{Y6'Z5pR ^ȴP@`POpD2K[J|-[Uy|XKÜ}ffs̵Ζ9B6 !u#PWU2/Ѽ̯N FXc2^5ȣd o!.P͠ݙT)`GuE[iAX j' V'Tz{C3('wp>^kjۚeQJb-\TG)Kn:~r OM$yNݳE [̅1:,GҨ ˨W^wѓ14^=~jMɰrK&Pِge"z:#S-k| vAiLTRss`g^dqYnfN{b Y \5^C+ lyH=;2 1Â7H}אkR:^(vAҮt]E!*ʬ*r0n-KpL`VAU~j2 ߣż4X$:Q o W(z0Ȍ$kIۏuSz{ry)(r2Ӵ(2!:lIf l Tѕ!f Z0裖u<)@j9>-8\l~k:=:=>Q^]'//.ǗߝУ[#VU~l@:R[s0EE -Ldk<ȃO9teU#?.4Id4$QzAj-`3oGeԹb2| EXӍYUWA4G+0~Dg6_j Y.c@6kqE9ǜ7G`?ޑK\1iBȂP:clEҤqY_!.:X ,9jpfD.cyLr#|crF)IcƌXL7Zh2L3r.Sm4yn">?\Es1Vcܢr18i;g!ƣSTeםqPpض|I8!R8B27aeU=H݉i:oI6޼Vw=go)Q* tt+O'UrE[ի5l"rםu sJ9H(d {^psv@%AIʓW]ye޶d!Zv7hKCFp nظQBxx3@rHS3XV̈́P܆2 /\1v%0%iTS\F$'ḭJ)'^"{2i<$HbtxW"^㎹R}X1hL\dE րP`ql G /Pw. @ ]:*.ĐD1ZS#kxKt{^F[n gLs$2ƍ \yX *_z5jVN^U4O yh6 bjan]_̑hVrȊ '-̓Z1/1.H'S^<db/yﳜTT<%TE :m1e'rl!L"gB3(\T,m<]$ܓrԙ ߤ܆'ΒSLl  ayn)2(`ngcJ||-@pfߪ, LnHWzՓkb\ݢc ʵ X`FBW_,&Je<˯C"& B`nY3V$ wE~2D=ҟ ()zzxfByh^M^ktFt<loM,.58Pڰob:8iyBbLL'&R!.4F,F'kUtW?%iN(B DQa4}]9|B2,7wpڭ rhe_Z ܚ4lyƘm$:Md2U/q>fMO&i}[ }Jx|˕k׬[V} ͸G,*I2qz˄MX.q-,dV;WcW}: }bTO7"ةl,n3@APydw <0A:3hd#=|QA֛Bi&᱖l= bΫ;Zm +H;fؚ&&DrD3QNĄw؂jP&C݉eԑ13a:YƝTD|1sHxs3Nh5\c;(&uWrqG+.AZ3dɁL]U0Ӊ ~PC?iR׌ixul;ؚq.8`BFqT%yw~]QI."ā{N ,tr dF VFw u??|#J'̪pSb'8qKꀖ%AYՑ8VG2@nmФmRK@Scr]^*;?M(;-|nGr>dbuEF&܄h`܁AX1rj2c>zY@83(_*eOYiesȯrP4i;1ֆϫP,I!W8ݳ_9[儦Y2+C\;d,,5z51UW$5[ye9j1]j>JnTͳą߄IZv#* y+Q6cF^TGPMǡd@1s}2yhbT5a^UZa]wit$D%IXبmAh5Aϱ>H=y[2:lABKTQ{8r*8Mz-D6MaQxI&MFv!$م@փ!vʨ;hLF- ^aS6%I7L:<&dՠE>Sق A9ZӤZ=,ٕ6Ҙ|nT?#x( ݲoknfUfəȿ>"F)FhG̑AF5փʼՈU#ԚR; =a(iK&*y)옅:TmP4d Jy(Y? +YH0y ,Eaj<d1F`[K&!l,Z5.np8 RKݳDiђ6sٛ I$FuuxpH,}Úa)u{u'7ߣ&HXhNKVٓn O9(y->xiS*TsZj5Q0o4R@1{[_1f!QjM:5e5a iţ& gGļXU: Eؠ\lVIM8]ƼVD..X.M9 @eРojw"ݐufُZW>Q&K$">M,]_>yyH|HWvpKo0<Tk9fPFE2WC"^AhG*XƂ5E!mI!` Wu{ ɇק'Wɛˋd4aD4GMx9T^KT!5ǯS1hW}k-"9Ҵ *6 ;#vSC@. ѴӮ!;`RP #0VHM#!|2:ҋ"w}gM*"nXv'{|֌SiD9Da{M\Zm6k шGܨVn;Yr-ďԔf.,jt˂ Q2r/(J(eoq&&!}aMB߄:u4G$K~$_#Z% FR5ACEW |U0@~umdhȉ$M϶c~|ӘF%z4"o:4gF({$e:G7CVJn\氢%3ͦonxyKU`c5(P3;SН5*|eʔ4ɵ~WRcY%a54'Um9W^sU[[F ;}fu9dD*\$\c5?4U(.vL/t_;yI IÆc9km^\87M\? `v!hl`A,F觇tvj eh: @IʘխAĦ~ @T|A|:wd5}x" <67{h;4Cd܍@/t5r#k ocBmXs²QUY`&f+Yq̹-f\뿪E;5RPD4A2Wـ{Ek30-H@yS]Ayz̘kwWn.eM4]-<4O3Ֆ~'cǩUvTS= 6?cH&~f`qZA+DE%l]Y ~^w;-fhMW4scԷ?VPZwJa RFdABN>Bm"/<ѬRL&v[Y|N#$p @`gkat1$2V9jQwhnebmPQ8)ui6WC4+0$T)2M#ĵ5w'^y}[b6TNB#]<khǐ w= j@iXNlEC|! U2꠻6b_ 8QE>,D|wLA.U2&4n& %fG!Eq6#׌i"a? «}k>j|3 )j9ʹ"łBWvzVjjM Iܝj+;:#6̛gdm+پlFd8팙p$"绡t9s4Eg(ZⳭbxV)_@3cz;o-mz6@(*8 U^~cߣчh&T@ uGRa&ې?u1 rjhl|MP 51éZdQ ѓj.+$e9}7 s r,e2$8N̉v@KX2:9>]>{1Q *,KOrtG9Ddu$^;7NtpG{\;(Ӏ}MUimELLoS116jBJ}m١ۑ47_k'm:' iSA=˅]φ<1%1i&E$pNI⚓`,oyMfIBԎπa1юc~HlURdMw4-Q-Ԃ?ږu6™ ^6Ù^׎EO{H ìա 6OKҀT>jMPj{'aT>MT2i +;0^iM1Y15F6XuIb̎ui v&j0&eLؑ}} L \{pչvSVWC$1!^Zc2!cŲZZ[0l܇Bk~5sُfQB`S͢L(@򈗀y)Xli"[ N +&iɃM>9V PߏHQUC!S.=&G 4YA"bnNd[HM6bRnVk7s-̴mdd }ɲgV;9kAX+CJ;kv7Nig54o±qglH`,Ո3J2.\0-2bP! +a#F1D&{K гY!8l|8цT̟+HEu݆O y/xNJxׁ5|l3EtmD vX (!`iw;;  Xy8 qvXsp9 9k 4ڤNJ!v̨蜀D(98Nܔ+VkF9 \XWyau%qzsҬټN' b,qtz}GMjﲁ=-z- D\kj'ved!w7IA5t%%='d^B`˩EjDJs{Q\\ )u{<;^VFԑ\tԒc cJCF"Ok=&Nxx%WJacM6@纤۽yu"")6gyyQ:D_HG31 Ī_[ a.PC-VY_ֳlT \rpl`dl/m R׫FnQ/{ >v f4NyCU=+H+V~!*>^hZܕG\H.6Hgh7:TbA 12n.)`GGclanO@3]1Mߡcgz᧜/@ uŤ߆Vv些Ec4 GNk}SZf%*B*O_&20 8o5yNaa6I8pL"Na!s3sy,Hf\*?,zQkCrh۾({_hU;_D|j#Gk#yaM 1M_WxO҆p\1'Dؓlu<&"Oi"! X/3nj.˻#t뗽U?pi^Cxo.@|W  WR];q53%P9h=8Pf)G[)=?!ŀЬom0Bgz:+4#>RL;/ko_/*O L :_Oj}"s2HƆ Sx Bɒdm3j]h;vj'&LvI8z(/i(]'&b3M.񉍧E)vΰhqoyZHFmG?ΒPB-оyw,s|6r%wKjͼ q1 a1K;OD}L6u>Qp9GdvJiNym£aE;pb8_RpI}vDxbUDC6Lڄ(/Y3?M,Ź̿Ę-B-2O62kmh1ѻdƏ(pMT3|kpt Q(&gtkaHPW#]՞rX'XAg5'l خ54`1<)]_<>j9UZ9?> bGnzWxNE+ʇ\*# Bnq_n9:]& }(I"SZv~zD-yy*05r6Z eSSbU;@lze* :>lC6$18?Uo$Fbj4CgԼ JЗB>W/D2$Vasz`ҳC kt˷"茤 _~݂%SZ@=;*m9bIE>sS52̯a4ZI}R!9щOYz ѶZλ3H@aDh&;ZqD;S4(Le=DϞ=:uhxֈ<D|8xktcԂH5nn]u w/,[eB2F7J$fC0IX&-v2z(b@k&)1 -2ע[KEaRvAPVUqחh  PyU5=I]ŻS[&\ ^8Q7/>^%7']|wr\\_%o}e@;#tFCzDe`/T@ lWѭ YzWu[u+f69,V8ȃDXM6F}PQ}Çм4sm]JTw"U6OQ%)ʽ"WBܠ(y:J߆c|(p)[ĬZm&ڏ/&G 4qkԮ;Ivo ێ(O5($>!&TLs̀ӝN^Qm"ـs;p " r+{\{B69` A
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1