shanneba
Professional
We recognize December 13th as the birthday of the National Guard.
On this date in 1636, the first militia regiments in North America were organized in Massachusetts.
Based upon an order of the Massachusetts Bay Colony's General Court, the colony's militia was organized into three permanent regiments to better defend the colony. Today, the descendants of these first regiments - the 181st Infantry, the 182nd Infantry, the 101st Field Artillery, and the 101st Engineer Battalion of the Massachusetts Army National Guard – share the distinction of being the oldest units in the U.S. military. December 13, 1636, thus marks the beginning of the organized militia, and the birth of the National Guard's oldest organized units is symbolic of the founding of all the state, territory, and District of Columbia militias that collectively make up today's National Guard.
“In the absence of military assistance from Great Britain, the militia system alone guaranteed the success of early English colonization,” Doubler writes. “As the Indian threat receded, militiamen found themselves more and more engaged against other colonial powers. Battles against the Spanish and French and service alongside British Regulars often revealed the militia’s best and worst aspects. By the late 1700s, the militia was a bulwark against unwelcome British intrusion into colonial affairs.”
www.history.com
On this date in 1636, the first militia regiments in North America were organized in Massachusetts.
Based upon an order of the Massachusetts Bay Colony's General Court, the colony's militia was organized into three permanent regiments to better defend the colony. Today, the descendants of these first regiments - the 181st Infantry, the 182nd Infantry, the 101st Field Artillery, and the 101st Engineer Battalion of the Massachusetts Army National Guard – share the distinction of being the oldest units in the U.S. military. December 13, 1636, thus marks the beginning of the organized militia, and the birth of the National Guard's oldest organized units is symbolic of the founding of all the state, territory, and District of Columbia militias that collectively make up today's National Guard.
“In the absence of military assistance from Great Britain, the militia system alone guaranteed the success of early English colonization,” Doubler writes. “As the Indian threat receded, militiamen found themselves more and more engaged against other colonial powers. Battles against the Spanish and French and service alongside British Regulars often revealed the militia’s best and worst aspects. By the late 1700s, the militia was a bulwark against unwelcome British intrusion into colonial affairs.”
What Are the Origins of the US National Guard?
The reserve force traces its roots to Colonial America.
