The revolutionaries also created a full-time regular army - the Continental Army - but, because of manpower shortages, the militia provided short-term support to the regulars in the field throughout the war. Regulation of the militia was codified by the Second Continental Congress with the Articles of Confederation. Because there was no standing English Army before the English Civil War, and subsequently the English Army and later the British Army had few regulars garrisoning North America, colonial militia served a vital role in local conflicts, particularly in the French and Indian Wars.īefore shooting began in the American War of Independence, American revolutionaries took control of the militia system, reinvigorating training and excluding men with Loyalist inclinations. Based on the English system, colonial militias were drawn from the body of adult male citizens of a community, town, or local region. The history of militia in the United States dates from the colonial era. Each of the Thirteen Colonies that became the United States when they declared their independence in 1776, had militia units that served on the Patriot side during the American Revolutionary War.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |