Patrick J. Charles

Patrick J. Charles is Senior Historian for U.S. Special Operations Command and the author of numerous articles and books on the Constitution, legal history, and standards of review.

His writings on the history of the Second Amendment have been cited by Second, Third, Fourth, Seventh, Ninth, and District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals, and his book, The Second Amendment: The Intent and Its Interpretation by the States and the Supreme Court, was cited by Justice Stephen Breyer in the landmark Supreme Court decision McDonald v. City of Chicago.

Charles is a two time recipient of the Allan S. Major Award, given annually to recognize the top history program out of the over 170 wings and groups in the U.S. Air Force.

His articles have appeared in legal journals published by Northwestern University, Georgetown University, William & Mary University, and others.

Charles received a B.A. in History and International Affairs with honors from George Washington University, an L.L.M. in Legal Theory and History with distinction from Queen Mary University of London, and a J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law.

Articles by this Author

A History of Gun Rights in America, September/October 2019 | Vol. 64, No. 4

After ten years of research into the history of gun rights, it’s clear that most Americans' understanding of the “right to bear arms” is not consistent with historical facts.

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