The National Rifle Association (NRA) is a pro-gun interest group that targets most anti-gun supporters and has long been a dominant player in the battle over gun-related issues in America. Known for championing the individual right to bear arms, its close ties to the gun industry, and an uncompromising stance on gun control measures, the NRA has been an influential, yet controversial, entity since its founding over 100 years ago. Ironically, the organization was stabilized and grew with the support of the government it frequently criticizes today.
Incorporated in 1871 by two Civil War veterans in New York, the NRA's initial goal was to "provide firearms training and encourage interest in the shooting sports" (Snapp 22). The Union Army had performed poorly in the Civil War, and the principal focus in the early years of the NRA was to improve the nation's shooting skills through NRA-sponsored events. According to Robert J. Spitzer in his book "The Politics of Gun Control", the NRA began to benefit from government subsidies just a year after its founding. In 1872, the New York State Legislature appropriated $25l, 000 to purchase a site on Long Island for use as an NRA rifle range (Snapp 22). But the organization floundered in its early years, and in 1880 New York stopped subsidizing NRA shooting matches. The organization was revived around 1900, in part because of renewed interest in marksmanship prompted by the Spanish-American War. President Roosevelt's creation of the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice buoyed the NRA in 1903 (Snapp 23). The board authorized the sale of surplus government firearms and ammunition to the NRA. In 1907, the NRA moved its headquarters to Washington, DC. In 1909, the NRA strengthened its ties to the military by amending its by laws to allow for five new board members to be selected by the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Navy, and commanders of the National Guard (Snapp 24).
