militia

is composed of free citizens. There is therefore no danger of their making use of their power to the destruction of their own rights, or suffering others to invade them.

Samuel Adams, for example, argued, ''The militia is composed of free Citizens. There is therefore no Danger of their making use of their power to the destruction of their own Rights, or suffering others to invade them.'''' Even some Federalist took that view. Tench Coxe, for example, believed that even without constitutional amendments the universal militia would block any federal oppression: ''the powers of the sword are in the hands of the yeomanry of america from sixteen to sixty. . . . Who are the militia' are they not ourselves. Is it feared, then, that we shall turn our arms each man against his bosom.''

is defined as able-bodied men organized into companies, regiments and brigades, with officers of all grades, and required by law to attend military exercises on certain days only, but at other times left to pursue their usual occupations.

Noah Webster, in his 1828 dictionary, defined a militia as 'able-bodied men organized into companies, regiments and brigades, with officers of all grades, and required by law to attend military exercises on certain days only, but at other times left to pursue their usual occupations.

is what a government always destroys first whenever it wants to invade the rights and liberties of the people. It does so in order to raise an army upon their ruins.

Now, I am apprehensive, sir, that this clause would give an opportunity for the people in power to destroy the constitution itself. They can declare who are those religiously scrupulous, and prevent them from bearing arms. . . . Congress could take such measures with respect to a militia, as to make a standing army necessary. Whenever Government means to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia, in order to raise an army upon their ruins. This was actually done by Great Britain at the commencement of the late revolution. They used every means in their power to prevent the establishment of an effective militia to the eastward. The Assembly of Massachusetts, seeing the rapid progress that administration were making to divest them of their inherent privileges, endeavored to counteract them by the organization of the militia... but they were always defeated by the influence of the crown.

is, at the time of the constitution, a weakening institution which turned out primarily as an occasional police force, often as a slave patrol.

The militia, by contrast, began to rust on the home front, turning out primarily as an occasional police force, often as a slave patrol. When it did turn out, it did not include all, or only, citizens. Rich men could purchase exemptions by paying poor men to go in their places, and sometimes even those who were not citizens could be subject to militia duty.'= In short, the states' military forces had come less and less to resemble the military incarnation of the citizenry assembled.

is, at the time of the framing of the constitution, an institution limited to white males between the ages of eighteen and forty-five.

Militias were limited to white males between the ages of eighteen and forty-five.

is to be understood as the national guard, as has been concluded by the supreme court three times. The national guard is a state-organized military force of ordinary citizens serving as part-time soldiers, as was the case with early state militias.

that the modern 'well-regulated milia' is the National Guard, a state-organized military force of ordinary citizens serving as part-time soldiers, as was the case with early state militias.

militia, n.All

militia