United States militia forces

E4556

The United States militia forces were locally raised citizen-soldier units that provided auxiliary defense and support to the regular U.S. Army during conflicts such as the War of 1812.


Statements (43)
Predicate Object
instanceOf citizen-soldier force
military organization
activeDuring American Civil War
American Revolutionary War
War of 1812
associatedWithConcept citizen-soldier tradition in the United States
militia system of the early United States
basedOn local recruitment
commandStructure governors as commanders-in-chief of state militias
state militia officers
composedOf citizen-soldiers
part-time soldiers
country United States
distinctFrom United States Volunteers
regular United States Army
equipmentSource locally supplied equipment
privately owned weapons
governedBy federal militia legislation
state militia laws
hasRole auxiliary defense force
support force to the regular U.S. Army
historicalDevelopment evolved from colonial militias
gradually replaced by organized militia and National Guard in late 19th and early 20th centuries
legalBasis Militia Acts of the United States
legalStatus part of the reserve military forces of the United States (historically)
mobilizationMethod call-up by state authorities
federalization in time of war
organizedBy local governments
state governments
predecessorOf National Guard of the United States
primaryFunction homeland defense
support to regular army operations
recruitmentBasis local communities
state populations
relationshipTo United States Army
roleRelativeTo supplemented the small regular U.S. Army
timePeriod 19th century
late 18th century
typicalDuties border and frontier security
local defense
support in major wars
typicalService short-term military service
typicalTraining limited formal military training

Referenced by (4)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Battle of Wisconsin Heights ("United States militia")
United States–Native American wars ("United States state militias")
belligerent
Battle of New Orleans ("Andrew Jackson commanded a mixed force of regulars, militia, and volunteers")
commandStructure
Burning of Washington
hasParticipant

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