Jun 18, 2020
On this special episode of the Resistance Library Podcast, Dan and
Sam discuss colonial militias in the United States. They discuss
the role of militias in the American Revolution and up to the
American Civil War.
The United States militia is enshrined in the Second Amendment of
the Constitution. And while the militia movement of today is widely
known, its history – and the history of independent Constitutional
militias stretching back to the dawn of the republic – is far less
well known.
Why does this matter nowadays? Because understanding the historical
roots of America's militias helps modern-day members appreciate the
role they play in our federal system of government. Because since
inception, militias have been tasked with stopping those who hold
public office from exceeding their authority or those seeking to
enact legislation outside of their operating charter – a crucial
check against incremental encroachment by the state, as James
Madison wrote in the Federalist Papers on January 29,
1788:
"Besides the advantage of being armed, which the Americans
possess over the people of almost every other nation, the existence
of subordinate governments, to which the people are attached, and
by which the militia officers are appointed, forms a barrier
against the enterprises of ambition, more insurmountable than any
which a simple government of any form can admit
of."
The militia is the final means of recourse in this cycle of
self-government – and arguably the most important. Thus this is the
first in a three-part historical series on America's militias. The
second part, American Militias after the Civil War: From Black
Codes to the Black Panthers and Beyond, looks at additional changes
this American institution underwent from Reconstruction onwards.
The third part, Negroes With Guns: The Untold History of the Black
NRA Gun Clubs and the Civil Rights Movement, takes a look at how
militias played a vital role in the Civil Rights Movement, an
important piece of America that's missing from our history
books.
Listen to learn more about early American militias. You can also
read Sam’s full article
“Early
American Militias: The Forgotten History of Freedmen Militias from
1776 until the Civil War” at Ammo.com.
Helpful Links:
