Research.
Innovative Teaching.
Scholarly Insight.
Dedicated to interdisciplinary humanities study and teaching on the social and cultural history of firearms.
Research.
Advancing critical research on firearms, history, & society.
A New Frontier in Firearms Research
Since its founding in 2022, the Center for the Study of Guns & Society (CSGS) has secured over $1.3 million in grants and private donations—fueling groundbreaking research and fostering academic inquiry into the cultural and social history of firearms. CSGS is committed to enriching interdisciplinary humanities scholarship and education through rigorous analysis.
Current Research Projects
Firearms Use and Regulation in the 18th and 19th Centuries:
Modeling the Application of Historical Methods for Law and Policy in the Bruen Era
Explore Project
Engineering Safety into U.S. Firearms, 1750-2010:
Inventions, Manufacturers, Outcomes, and Implications
Explore Project
Developing and Evaluating a Civilian Arms Lethality Index for Firearms:
A Research/Planning Meeting Proposal
Explore Project
Colt Firearms Manufacturing in London
Joseph Slaughter travels to London as part of his project on 19th century firearm manufacturing.
Explore Project
Who We Are
Exploring firearms through a scholarly lens
The Center for the Study of Guns & Society explores the cultural and historical role of firearms through rigorous, humanities-based research. We foster informed, evidence-driven dialogue.
About UsCSGS Supports
- An annual conference for professional historians
- An annual convening of local museum professionals
- An annual undergraduate student research conference
- Student research opportunities
- Ongoing collaborations with and outreach to other educational institutions, museums, and schools
Courses
Wesleyan University offers several courses associated with the center on topics around guns and society. Explore course descriptions and more below.
2024-2025
Visualizing Firearms History: An Applied Quantitative and Archival Approach for a Project-Based Exploration
This project-based course provides a unique cross-disciplinary opportunity to study important historical questions surrounding firearms.
Explore Course
2024-2025
Reenacting Justice: Guns in America
Combining oral history, visual storytelling methods, and documentary performance in a workshop format, this course will reenact court transcripts and contemporary and historic testimonies related to guns and gun violence in America.
Explore Course
2024-2025
God & Guns: The History of Faith & Firearms in America
This course examines the history of firearms and religion in the United States, ultimately seeking to understand the significance of gun culture within American Christianity and the powerful “God & Guns” story at the core of many Americans’ identity.
Explore CourseCollaboration
Conferences, Projects, and More from our Colleagues and Partners
CSGS actively engages with numerous colleagues across the country and internationally. We appreciate conversations about how to build the growing field of the cultural and social history of firearms through creative collaborations. CSGS is committed to advancing interdisciplinary humanities scholarship.
CSGS Blog
New Spring 2026 Course: History and Archaeology of Industrial Connecticut
Despite the fact that Middletown is a UNESCO Site of Memory and is home to...
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Fall 2025 Conference: Current Perspectives on the History of Guns and Society
October 10 – 11, 2025 The Center for the Study of Guns & Society is...
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22
Aug
Aug
CSGS Fall 2024 Conference: Exploring America’s Complicated Relationship with Guns
Center for the Study of Guns & Society hosts third-annual conference at a pivotal moment...
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09
Nov
Nov
CSGS Fall 2024 Conference: Presentation Summaries
Center for the Study of Guns & Society hosts third-annual conference at a pivotal moment...
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09
Nov
Nov
Middletown and the Birth of Arms Manufacturing – Walking Tour Hosted by the Middlesex County Historical Society
Friday, October 18, 2024 9:30am – 11am (please arrive 5 minutes early) Meeting Place: Corner...
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18
Sep
Sep
New CSGS Postdoctoral Researchers
Introducing CSGS postdoctoral researchers Brennan Gardner Rivas and Evan Turiano CSGS is thrilled to welcome...
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27
Jun
Jun
Center for the Study of Guns & Society Hosts Second Annual Fall Conference
On October 13–14, the Center for the Study of Guns & Society (CSGS) at Wesleyan...
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19
Oct
Oct
NEH Supports “Engineering Safety into U.S. Firearms: 1750-2010” Research at the Center for the Study of Guns & Society
In America, firearms are widely discussed through the lenses of laws and ownership, gun violence statistics,...
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29
Aug
Aug
Stay Connected to the Conversation
Whether you’re a scholar, student, museum professional, or supporter—there’s a place for you in the CSGS community. Help us advance nonpartisan, humanities-based scholarship on firearms and American life—learn how you can get involved.