Militia
The Militia the Founders Envisioned, and What Remains Today
โWho are the militia? They consist now of the whole people.โย George Mason cut to the heart of it: the militia was not a government creation, but the people themselves. That simple truth has been twisted, ignored, or totally forgotten. Say the word โmilitiaโ today and...
Defend the Guard: A Constitutional Check on Unrestricted War Powers
Presidential administrations come and go but the war machine churns relentlessly on. โDefend the Guardโ legislation can throw a monkey wrench in its cogs. Defend the Guard is a state-level bill that would stop the deployment of a stateโs National Guard units unless...
The War of 1812 and State Sovereignty: New England’s Militia Resistance Explained
Was the militia intended to be used as an offensive military force in foreign lands? During the War of 1812, New England states not only said no, but they used the principles of the 10th Amendment to actively interpose and resist federal demands for mobilizing the...
The Founders’ Case for a Strong Militia Over Standing Armies
One of the primary reasons the founders wanted a strong militia system with a well-armed general public was to minimize or even eliminate the need for a large, permanent standing army, even in times of peace.ย Most people in the founding generation were extremely wary...