The Idaho Militia from 1863-1899

Publication Date

3-2004

Type of Culminating Activity

Thesis

Degree Title

Master of Arts in History, Research

Department

History

Supervisory Committee Chair

Barton Barbour

Supervisory Committee Member

Nicholas J. Miller

Supervisory Committee Member

Larry Kincaid

Abstract

In western history, the notion of the armed citizen participating in temporary military service can be traced back to the ancient Greek polis or city-state, in which all free, healthy males were required to render such service to the city state in times of duress. These Greek citizen-soldiers fought to preserve the city-state and their own lands. The tradition of the citizen-soldier continued up through the period of the fifth century Anglo-Saxon fyrds and on to Queen Elizabeth's reign where "trained bands" represented groups of select militiamen chosen from shires and equipped with proper arms.1 American militia service was rooted in this English tradition of military service, so much so that it was later firmly established in the Constitution.

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