Militias

A militia is made up of a group of individuals who are normally civilians, but upon being called together (usually by some political leader) form a military unit for temporary duty. In pre-industrial times, they generally brought weapons from their home to fight with, and generally had very little (if any) formal military training as a unit. In modern times, they are usually equipped by the government, and many have some limited training in the combat arts (i.e. small unit tactics, proper communications protocols, etc.). Modern militias are almost exclusively light infantry, equipped with little more than personal firearms and perhaps light vehicles for transport.

The defining characteristic of a militia is its temporary nature, and that it is filled with persons not normally considered part of the military. Militia units are almost always used solely for homeland defense.

The United States National Guard can perhaps be called a militia, though it receives far more equipment and training (and formal military integration) than virtually any other "militia" organization. More honestly, the National Guard in modern times is really a special-duty military reserve unit.

The Minute Men of the American Revolutionary War were one example of a old-style militia.

In addition to the traditional usage, the word militia is also commonly used today to describe informally organized armed groups who act as the personal "army" of some warlord or other strongman. These groups are little better than armed mobs, with virtually no training other than basic "how to your your gun" instructions. Such militias really are just a step up from an armed gang, having nothing to do with the formal government structure of the country (and, often, in contention with a country's formal military, sometimes to the point of active fighting). Militias in this sense are common in places experiencing extreme civil unrest, including failed states and civil wars. Somalia and Sudan are prime examples where militias in this mold exist.

The militia is the common citizen. Male age 18 to 45. Where im from the age is 17-69

The Poolesville Militia is currently commanded by Daniel Kator, formerly Colonel but now Commander of the Militia because of a reorginization of the militia rank structure. www.pvillemilitia.bravehost.com will give you more information about the Poolesville Militia.

The Minutemen in Virginia were volunteers called forth from the Virginia militia. They trained more often then the regular militia to enhance unit cohesion and effectiveness to mass firepower as was the standard tactic of 18th century warfare. The Minutemen were merely better trained than the regular militia. In Virginia the militia and the Minutemen were required at all times to be armed and ready to immediately repel invasions and insurrections. The Minutemen were actually a reconstituted form of the Independent Companies started by George Mason and came into existence after the Independent companies were under the central control of the Virginia Committee of Safety. The state of Virginia was divided into 16 military districts and the minutemen were formed. They only lasted one year from July 1775 to October 1776 as the severe military manpower shortage in the Continental line drew down the available men required to constitute the companies. They were then folded back into the regular militia. George Mason Jr. was a member of the Minutemen. For actual Acts of the Colony of Virginia creating the Minutemen see http://www.virginia1774.org/MilitiaActs.html Rudolph DiGiacinto Founder &c. Virginia1774.org

There were several American militias from different "states". They all reported to Washington, ultimately, though.

It means that AT THAT TIME, the framers of the constitution believed we must not depend on a professional military to defend our country. All citizens should be ready, willing, and trained to assist. It is dubious as to whether that still applies however.

Yes it does still apply.

That is the power of principles, they are valid yesterday, today and tomorrow. The "AT THAT TIME" phrase is an obvious political point by a person who believes the Constitution is no longer valid.

I'm not sure I agree with "the power of principals" being timeless. A quick discussion on slavery or woman's suffrage would undoubtedly stifle that logic. However, this is a much-needed debate in the US regarding the validity of every citizens right to own a firearm (especially those whose use is combat-centric) without any training or organization. Your question points out one of the most mis-quoted portions of our constitution, the second amendment. It is not so direct and clear as many would like you to believe, stating emphatically that any US citizen can own any firearm without restraint. In fact, the exact verbiage is quite the contrary, leaving the decision in the hands of the state or local municipality. Moreover, the framing of the sentence clearly implies some amount of oversight was always intended.

I say this as the owner of several weapons, and as a well-trained combat veteran. I am confident that I have earned my right to own a firearm, and can use it competently. I am less confident in the competence, or intentions, of many others who own them. My opinion aside, this is a subject for intelligent debate based on facts. But you'll see little of that in the U.S. nowadays.

If you would like more information on the reasons for creation of militias, as well as how this eventually led to the creation of the National Guard, I'll place a reference URL below. This compilation contains primarily direct excerpts from legislation. Though it's less fun to read, it's inherently accurate.

http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-4415908/State-militias-and-the-United.html

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Note: As a partial author of the first paragraph, I did not intend to imply that the Constitution was no longer valid. The point that was intended was that perhaps the original principle (that a militia was needed for defense of the country) was no longer valid, much as the original idea that black people were only 3/5th of a person is no longer valid. However, the law is the law, and if it's obsolete, it should be changed.

None of them said that. All able-bodied males between 18 and 45 were the militia and expected to have suitable arms ready for use. If we still followed the intent of the Founding Fathers in the Second Amendment, there would be tanks, mortars and fighter planes in your neighbors' driveways ready to respond when the militia was called to arms.

The Second Amendment allowed for state militias on the cheep, by using citizens arms. It also was a counter balance to the power of the federal government. But the Second Amendment has been an anachronism for over 150 years. State Militias , now known as the National Guard, issue arms to its members. In addition, the most significant arms in the modern military include fighter jets, misiles, artillery, heavy weapons and such, not the kind of things most parents want floating around the neighbor. To allow anyone to own such arms by right is completely uncivilized and not the kind of world most sane people would want to raise a family in.

The previous answer about the militia is obviously made from an emotional standpoint and is nothing more than opinion.

The Federal Statute regarding militias can be found in US Code Title 10, Section 311, or 10USC311http://straylight.law.cornell.edu/uscode/HTML/uscode10/usc_sec_10_00000311----000-.HTML

TITLE 10 > Subtitle A > PART I > CHAPTER 13 > � 311� 311. Militia: composition and classes(a) The militia of the United States consists of all able-bodied males at least 17 years of age and, except as provided in section 313 of title 32, under 45 years of age who are, or who have made a declaration of intention to become, citizens of the United States and of female citizens of the United States who are members of the National Guard.(b) The classes of the militia are�(1) the organized militia, which consists of the National Guard and the Naval Militia; and(2) the unorganized militia, which consists of the members of the militia who are not members of the National Guard or the Naval Militia.

There are two classes of militia, organized (the National Guard) and unorganized (able bodied males).

The core of the issue goes back to the original question and the answer is none of the Founding Fathers intended the Second Amendment to apply only to a 'militia' or for firearms to be exclusively used for military purposes. They intended the 'people' to me armed for self defense. Those 'people' mentioned in the Second Amendment are the same 'people' mentioned in the:

Preamble of the U.S. Constitution: 'We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.'First Amendment, '...right of the people peaceably to assemble...'Fourth Amendment, 'The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures...'Ninth Amendment, 'The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.'Tenth Amendment, 'The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.'

To claim that the Founding Fathers meant individual citizens of the U.S. in every part of the U.S. Constitution where the word 'people' is used EXCEPT in the Second Amendment where it is suppose to mean a group organized by the federal government is beyond comprehension and shows a complete and utter lack of understanding of the Constitution and of the principles that the country was founded on.

For the third time, none of them. The statement doesn't even make sense in the context of the times because at that time the militia was defined to be the entire military age male population. Thus it was indistinguishable from the general populace. Militiamen were often required to provide their own weapons. In the congressional debates over the wording of the amendment the arguments were not over who should be excluded from having the right to bear arms, but whether anybody, such as doctors and ministers, should be excused from being compelled to bear arms. Michael Montagne

to show the attacking militia that they were friends of the white - novanet

George Washington was a young surveyor who came to Virginia to help fight the French. Washington was only twenty-one years old when the French moved troops into Virginia.

The Roman army was an effective fighting force well before the later years of the Republic. Rome already became the dominant power in Italy in the Early Republic (509 BC to the beginning of the First Punic War, 264 BC) by winning the Three Samnite Wars (343-341 BC, 326-304 BC and 298-290 BC) and by establishing either voluntary or forced alliances with the peoples of central and southern Italy in which allies had to supply soldiers who fought in auxiliary troops which supported the Roman legions at their own expense. Military efficiency was a key element in Rome winning the Three Samnite Wars and establishing the military dominance which played a big part in the development of Rome's control over central and southern Italy.

The Italic allies provided 60% of the pool of military manpower available to Rome. This was the largest pool in the Mediterranean and was an important element of Rome's military prowess. It was a key factor which enabled Rome to repel the attempted invasions of Italy by Pyrrhus (the king of the Greek kingdom of Epirus) in the Pyrrhic war (275-270 BC) and by Hannibal in the Second Punic War (218-201 BC). These invaders could not match Rome's military manpower. The latter war was the biggest in the history of the Republic and winning it was its greatest achievement. With the defeat of the Carthaginians and the annexation of mainland Greece in 146 BC, Rome established herself as the dominant military power during the Mediterranean in the Mid-Republic.

Behind the efficiency of the Roman army there was the efficiency of the Roman state which developed the capability of deploying several legions (army corps) on several fronts at the same time in the 5th century BC. This capability was crucial for the success of Rome's expansion into central and southern Italy as on several occasion she rose to the challenge of having to fight both to her south and her north at the same time. Flexibility was another factor. During the second Samnite War, Rome switched from the military formation of the phalanx to the Samnite formation of the maniples. This was because the latter was more flexible and better suited to mountain warfare. The Samnites lived on the Apennine Mountains. Strong discipline, good military strategy and tactics and the sheer determination with which the Romans fought their wars were other factors.

What happened in the Late Republic (133 BC to 30 BC) were the Marian reforms of the army in 107 BC. Previously the Roman army was a citizen militia which recruited soldiers only for the military campaigning season (March to October). The soldiers were farmers who could afford to pay for their military equipment. The propertyless were exempt because they could not afford this. The reforms made joining the army voluntary and made it accessible to the growing masses of the landless poor by making the state pay for the military equipment (swords, armour and helmets). It also established a military career of 16 years (later it was extended to 20 and 25 years) and provided for a grant of a sizeable lump sum of money (numnaria missio) or a plot of land to farm (agrarian missio) on discharge. The poor flocked to the army because it provided a career, a pay and a pension. These reforms were a response to a growing shortage of soldiers to Rome's gowning military commitments.

Over time, The Marian reforms led to the development of a professional standing army which was probably established during the reign of Augustus (in the Early Imperial period). Prior to this, it increased the number of people available for the army, but it seems that it was not a standing army yet. It is not clear whether the reforms made the army more efficient during the Late Republic as well as resolving the problem of recruitment shortages. They did cause problems which contributed to the civil wars which tore the Republic part. They made the soldiers loyal to their military commanders. Already before the civil wars there were instances of commanders using the threat of military violence to obtain what they wanted from the state. During the civil wars there were commanders in the opposing factions who recruited soldiers and even entire legions themselves for their fights and might even pay for them privately.

Minuet men

Abraham Lincoln joined and rejoined the Illinois militia three times. He served a total of 85 days. During his tenure in the militia he saw no combat duty.

Thomas Gage

The Cheyenne and their chief were worried that they would be attacked if they went on other territory and they would be shot. So they went to the government and asked where they could go and be safe. They said to sand creek. It was supposed to be theirs and no white men could enter. They settled there and lived. Then the government sent the Colorado Militia to wipe out the Cheyenne. All the Cheyenne died there. Today, there are law suits and stuff about this incident and some decendants from these Cheyenne people can make some money off of these lawsuits.

George Rogers Clark

Kings Mountain

You don't it saves it automatically

the governor

The Federalist Papers are a series of 85 articles advocating the ratification of the United States Constitution. Seventy-seven of the essays were published serially in The Independent Journal and The New York Packet between October 1787 and August 1788. A compilation of these and eight others, called The Federalist or The New Constitution, was published in two volumes in 1788 by J. and A. McLean. The series's correct title is The Federalist; the title The Federalist Papers did not emerge until the twentieth century.

Because someone wanted to strip him.

Go 2 google and google it.

Some militia members were known as minutemen because they were select members of the militia. They were given extra training and were ready to deploy at short notice.