By Kevin Stanley Many soldiers of the British regular army believed the colonial militia consisted of low-quality soldiers who came from the dregs of society. The ranks of the colonial militia were usually filled by average citizens. They came from all walks of life and different ethnic groups.

Two lanterns hanging from Boston’s North Church informed the countryside that the British were going to attack by sea. A series of horseback riders — men such as Paul Revere, William Dawes and Dr. Samuel Prescott — galloped off to warn the countryside that the Regulars (British troops) were coming.

Fighting Breaks Out in Lexington and Concord A British major yelled, “Throw down your arms! The militiamen hustled to Concord’s North Bridge, which was being defended by a contingent of British soldiers. The British fired first but fell back when the colonists returned the volley.

In the South, militia forces affected a sort of taxation upon the well-to-do, redistributing food to the needy; they also protected surrendering loyalists, kept the Indians at bay, stopped plundering and assisted locals in the recovery of stolen property.

A militia (/mɪˈlɪʃə/) is generally an army or some other fighting organization of non-professional soldiers, citizens of a country, or subjects of a state, who may perform military service during a time of need, as opposed to a professional force of regular, full-time military personnel; or, historically, to members of …

Is it legal to act as a private militia in California? No. All 50 states prohibit private, unauthorized militias and military units from engaging in activities reserved for the state militia, including law enforcement activities.

A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. A well regulated Militia being necessary to the security of a free State the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed.

Approximately half the states maintain laws regulating private militias. Generally, these laws prohibit the parading and exercising of armed private militias in public, but do not forbid the formation of private militias.

Militia, military organization of citizens with limited military training, which is available for emergency service, usually for local defense. In many countries the militia is of ancient origin; Macedonia under Philip II (d.

Twenty-two states and Puerto Rico have some form of State Defense Force or Naval Militia, or both, each with different levels of activity, state support and strength, and oriented mainly toward emergency management and homeland security missions. Training standards vary widely from state to state.

What is a militia? At the time of the American Revolutionary War, militias were groups of able-bodied men who protected their towns, colonies, and eventually states. “[When the Constitution was drafted], the militia was a state-based institution,” says Rakove.

If the founders were alive today, I believe they would be very concerned – because the Constitution is clear that the only militias protected by the Second Amendment are “well-regulated” units authorized and controlled by state governments, not a private citizen militia.

The right to keep and bear arms in the United States is a fundamental right protected by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, part of the Bill of Rights, and by the constitutions of most U.S. states.