Will the Constitution suffice? Art I, Sec 8, cl 11, which allows the government to write Letters of Marque and Reprisal. This meant that the new government was allowed to contract with private individuals to use their privately-owned battleships of the day, replete with hundreds of cannon, to help the government in attaining its goals (which was initially, and ironically, battling Muslim pirates and slaver ships... which is the source of the line "to the shores of Tripoli" in the Marine Corps Anthem). Good enough?? It is written in the Constitution before the Second Amendment. Not only cannons, but battleships, were recognized as properly permitted, and useful, in the hands of individual citizens.
“Good enough???”
Uh Thanks?
Perhaps I should say sorry I asked...
To be clear, I wasn’t doubting ...I just wanted more historical information....who were the private sources, etc...Just found it interesting :(
http://www.usmm.org/revolution.html
The above is an interesting link. During the Revolutionary War, privateers (private fighting ships) had almost 15,000 cannon compared to the Continental forces 1,250. The first sea battle was two privateers against a British ship. (We won!)
Well ,
Marque it Well.