Militia (United States) facts for kids
.jpg)
A militia in the United States is a group of citizens who can be called upon to serve as soldiers. The idea of a militia has changed a lot over time.
Back when America was made of colonies, most able-bodied men of a certain age were part of a militia. Each colony had its own rules for this. Towns often formed their own local militias to protect themselves.
In 1787, before the U.S. Constitution was approved, the Founding Fathers wrote about how important the militia was in The Federalist Papers. The new Constitution gave Congress the power to "organize, arm, and discipline" this national military group. However, it also left a lot of control to each state government.
Today, the word "militia" has two main meanings in the United States, based on the Militia Act of 1903:
- Organized militia: This group includes the National Guard, State Defense Forces, and Naval Militia. These are formal military groups.
- Unorganized militia: This group includes almost every other able-bodied man. If you are at least 17 years old but under 45, and you are not part of the National Guard, State Defense Forces, or Naval Militia, you are considered part of the unorganized militia.
Congress organized the National Guard using its power to "raise and support armies." This is different from its power to "Provide for organizing, arming and disciplining the Militia." Congress did this so that these reserve military units could be sent to more places. The constitutional militia can only be called out "to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions."
What Does the Word "Militia" Mean?
The word "militia" comes from old words. It comes from the Old English word milite, which meant soldiers. It also comes from the Latin word miles, meaning soldier.
The modern English word "militia" started being used around 1590. At first, it meant a group of soldiers working for a ruler or a country. Later, around 1665, its meaning changed. It began to mean a military force made up of regular citizens. This group would help a regular army, especially in emergencies. They were often different from hired soldiers or professional soldiers.
The U.S. Supreme Court once described an "active militia" in 1879. They said it was "a body of citizens trained for military duty." These citizens could be called out for certain reasons. However, they were not kept on duty like a standing army during peacetime. When they were not training, they would go back to their normal jobs. They would only be called to serve when the public needed them.
You might sometimes see the word spelled millitia in old writings from the 1600s to the 1800s.
