Militia movement (United States)
Encyclopedia
The militia movement is a political movement of paramilitary
groups in the United States
. Members of the movement typically refer to themselves as militia
, "unorganized militia", and "constitutional militia". While groups such as the Posse Comitatus existed as early as the 1980s, the movement gained momentum after controversial standoffs with government agents in the early nineties, and by the mid-nineties, groups were active in all 50 states with membership estimated at between 20,000 and 60,000. Although in unconnected groups, they may be united in their beliefs of the federal government's threat to their freedom, and in particular the movement's opposition to any limit of the Second Amendment
right to bear arms.
outgrowth of the independent survivalist
, anti-tax and other causes in the patriot movement
subculture
in the United States. The formation of the militias was influenced by the historical precedent of existing paramilitary movements such as the Posse Comitatus, and groups associated with protecting liberties of governed people.
Although the far-right
Patriot movement had long been marginalized, certain cultural factors paved the way for the wide scale growth of the libertarian
or ideological Militia movement. This attitude grew with the federal government
's own expansions of powers.
Precursor groups existed in the form of small militias that had organized during the 1970s and 1980s, but the movement underwent a wave of growth and rose to prominence in American culture in the 1990s. Events such as the killing of Gordon Kahl
by government agents, the controversies of the Presidency of Bill Clinton
, and the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement
angered those on the right and left. The catalysts came in the form of the FBI
's 1992 shootout with Randy Weaver
at Ruby Ridge
, and the government's 1993 siege
and eventual destruction of David Koresh
and the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas
. Historian Mark Pitcavage
described the militia movement of the 1990s:
Some Militia groups saw the Davidians and the Weaver family as martyr
s, and used Ruby Ridge and Waco as examples of the federal government's threat to people who refused to conform, and additionally those two events became a rallying cry to form militias to defend the people against the forces of a government perceived as hostile. Both incidents involved weapons alleged to be illegal and federal agents' efforts to confiscate them. In both incidents, the government failed to produce evidence of illegal activity. Government agencies responsible for the deaths of the Branch Davidians, and members of the Weaver family at Ruby Ridge, were later exonerated and exempted from further investigation. This heightened tensions in militias, as many leaders were gun rights advocates and firm believers in the right to bear arms
.
Resentment of the federal government only heightened with the passage of the Brady Act
in 1993 and the Assault Weapons Ban
a year later. Those laws also helped to drive more moderate gun owners into sympathy with some of the militia movement's positions. The USMS and FBI shootings of Sam and Vicki Weaver at Ruby Ridge also alienated many in the gun rights movement. Some members of the militia movement viewed this as an attempt by the government to disarm the American people, a preliminary step to clear the way for an invasion of United Nations troops and the establishment of a New World Order. Many people joined militias in order to protect themselves, their families, and their rights from perceived government intrusion.
The growth of movement had not gone unnoticed. During the 1990s public attention to the militia movement began to grow. The Oklahoma City bombing
on April 19, 1995, the second anniversary of the Waco fire, drew nation-wide attention to the militia movement with the revelation that Timothy McVeigh
and Terry Nichols
had links to armed right wing groups. This increased public scrutiny and law enforcement pressure, and brought in more recruits due to the heightened awareness of the movement.
In March 1996, agents of the FBI and other law enforcement organizations surrounded the 960 acres (388.5 ha) eastern Montana
"Justus Township" compound of the Montana Freemen
. The Freemen were a Sovereign Citizen
group that included elements of the Christian Identity ideology, espoused common law
legal theories, and rejected the legitimacy of the Federal Reserve. Montana legislator Carl Ohs mediated through the standoff. Both Randy Weaver
(one of the besieged at Ruby Ridge
) and Bo Gritz
(a civilian negotiator at Ruby Ridge) had attempted to talk to the group but had given up in frustration, as did Colorado Senator Charlie Duke when he had attempted negotiations. A break finally came when far right leaders abandoned the group to their fate. The group surrendered peacefully after an 81 day standoff and 14 of the Freemen faced criminal charges relating to circulating millions of dollars in bogus checks and threatening the life of a federal judge. The peaceful resolution of this and other standoffs after Ruby Ridge and Waco have been credited by some to the creation of the Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) within the U.S. Department of Justice in 1994.
Another incident occurred in Fort Davis, Texas
a year later in March 1997 when a faction of the self-styled "Republic of Texas
" militia group seized hostages. The Republic of Texas group believed that the annexation of Texas as a state in 1845 was illegal, that Texas should remain an independent nation, and that the legitimate government of Texas was the group's leadership. Joe and Margaret Ann Rowe were taken at gunpoint in retaliation for the arrest of member Robert J. Scheidt, who had been arrested on weapons charges. Leader Richard McLaren then declared that the group was in a state of war with the federal government. The property was then surrounded by the entire Jeff Davis County
sheriff's department, state troopers, Texas Rangers
, and agents of the FBI. McLaren's wife, Evelyn, convinced him to surrender peacefully after a week-long standoff. The McLarens and four other Republic of Texas members were sent to prison.
A 1999 US Department of Justice analysis of the potential militia threat at the Millennium conceded that the vast majority of militias were reactive (not proactive) and posed no threat. In January 2000, the FBI Project Megiddo
report stated:
As of 2001, the militia movement seemed to be in decline, having peaked in 1996 with 858 groups. Even the Michigan Militia (with which McVeigh and the Nichols brothers had grown frustrated due to its seeming preference for talk over action) disbanded. Prior to that, it had kicked out its most radical members in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing; they formed the North American Militia, whose leaders, Brad Metcalf and Randy Graham, later received 40- and 55-year sentences, respectively, for terrorist plots against the IRS and federal officials.
Militias' primary forms of outreach are gun show
s, shortwave radio, newsletters, and the Internet.
; Article 1, section 8 and the 2nd Amendment of the United States Constitution
; the Militia Act of 1792
; Title 10
, Section 311 of the United States Code
; and the concept of an independent wing of the citizenry that enacts its own governmental beliefs. Watchdog groups, such as the Anti-Defamation League
and the Southern Poverty Law Center
have portrayed militias as racist, though only some militias have white supremacist ideologies. (For example, The Gadsden Alabama Minutemen who exposed the racist "Good'O'Boys Roundup" held by ATF agent Eugene Rightmyer had black members.) Robert Churchill sees a white supremacist "resistance wing" of the movement and a radical libertarian "constitutionalist wing" motivated by various, at times over lapping, concerns. The beliefs of the latter group center around opposition to the power of federal or local governments and limitations imposed by governing parties or erosions of liberties by governing parties. Some Militias are also formed in order to protect a community from outside intervention or perceived negative influence by outside parties. Some Militias have also formed around a particular ideology without all members agreeing on every particular issue. Power struggles, politics, and disagreements persist as in any organization; hence internal ideologies can change from time to time.
Some of the movement sees power of a government as a form of tyranny. Their beliefs focus on limited-government, on taxes, regulations, and gun control efforts as perceived threats to constitutional liberties. Many of their views are similar to those of the John Birch Society
, tax protester movement, county supremacy movement, state sovereignty movement, and the states’ rights movement. Gun control is considered unconstitutional, and a move toward fascism
by the government. The controversial novel Unintended Consequences by John Ross
in 1996 is an example of these beliefs. However, not all Militias are armed, or support the use of violence in political change.
The ideologies most commonly associated with the militia movement are the Christian Patriot movement, the Constitutional militia movement
, and opposition to the creation of a one world government. Most militias are derived from a local populace who come to common belief, and so ideologies tend to differ by region. Most agree upon local regulation opposed to global, federal or state regulation.
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
groups in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Members of the movement typically refer to themselves as militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
, "unorganized militia", and "constitutional militia". While groups such as the Posse Comitatus existed as early as the 1980s, the movement gained momentum after controversial standoffs with government agents in the early nineties, and by the mid-nineties, groups were active in all 50 states with membership estimated at between 20,000 and 60,000. Although in unconnected groups, they may be united in their beliefs of the federal government's threat to their freedom, and in particular the movement's opposition to any limit of the Second Amendment
Second Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
right to bear arms.
History
The militia movement is a paramilitaryParamilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
outgrowth of the independent survivalist
Survivalism
Survivalism is a movement of individuals or groups who are actively preparing for future possible disruptions in local, regional, national, or international social or political order...
, anti-tax and other causes in the patriot movement
Patriot movement
The Patriot Movement is a loose collection of independent minarchist social movements in the United States beginning in the latter half of the 20th century...
subculture
Subculture
In sociology, anthropology and cultural studies, a subculture is a group of people with a culture which differentiates them from the larger culture to which they belong.- Definition :...
in the United States. The formation of the militias was influenced by the historical precedent of existing paramilitary movements such as the Posse Comitatus, and groups associated with protecting liberties of governed people.
Although the far-right
Far right
Far-right, extreme right, hard right, radical right, and ultra-right are terms used to discuss the qualitative or quantitative position a group or person occupies within right-wing politics. Far-right politics may involve anti-immigration and anti-integration stances towards groups that are...
Patriot movement had long been marginalized, certain cultural factors paved the way for the wide scale growth of the libertarian
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
or ideological Militia movement. This attitude grew with the federal government
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
's own expansions of powers.
Precursor groups existed in the form of small militias that had organized during the 1970s and 1980s, but the movement underwent a wave of growth and rose to prominence in American culture in the 1990s. Events such as the killing of Gordon Kahl
Gordon Kahl
Gordon Wendell Kahl is best known for his involvement in two fatal shootouts with law enforcement officers in the United States in 1983....
by government agents, the controversies of the Presidency of Bill Clinton
Presidency of Bill Clinton
The United States Presidency of Bill Clinton, also known as the Clinton Administration, was the executive branch of the federal government of the United States from January 20, 1993 to January 20, 2001. Clinton was the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second full term...
, and the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA is an agreement signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade bloc in North America. The agreement came into force on January 1, 1994. It superseded the Canada – United States Free Trade Agreement...
angered those on the right and left. The catalysts came in the form of the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
's 1992 shootout with Randy Weaver
Randy Weaver
Randall Claude "Randy" Weaver is a former Green Beret who was at the center of a deadly confrontation with U.S. federal agents at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in 1992.-Early life:...
at Ruby Ridge
Ruby Ridge
Ruby Ridge was the site of a violent confrontation and siege in northern Idaho in 1992. It involved Randy Weaver, his family, Weaver's friend Kevin Harris, and agents of the United States Marshals Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation...
, and the government's 1993 siege
Waco Siege
The Waco siege began on February 28, 1993, and ended violently 50 days later on April 19. The siege began when the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms attempted to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian ranch at Mount Carmel, a property located east-northeast of Waco,...
and eventual destruction of David Koresh
David Koresh
David Koresh , born Vernon Wayne Howell, was the leader of a Branch Davidian religious sect, believing himself to be its final prophet. Howell legally changed his name to David Koresh on May 15, 1990. A 1993 raid by the U.S...
and the Branch Davidians in Waco, Texas
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
. Historian Mark Pitcavage
Mark Pitcavage
Mark Pitcavage is a historian and critic of far right wing groups and a player of the boardgame Advanced Squad Leader . He works with the Anti-Defamation League and was the creator of the now archived Militia Watchdog website...
described the militia movement of the 1990s:
Some Militia groups saw the Davidians and the Weaver family as martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
s, and used Ruby Ridge and Waco as examples of the federal government's threat to people who refused to conform, and additionally those two events became a rallying cry to form militias to defend the people against the forces of a government perceived as hostile. Both incidents involved weapons alleged to be illegal and federal agents' efforts to confiscate them. In both incidents, the government failed to produce evidence of illegal activity. Government agencies responsible for the deaths of the Branch Davidians, and members of the Weaver family at Ruby Ridge, were later exonerated and exempted from further investigation. This heightened tensions in militias, as many leaders were gun rights advocates and firm believers in the right to bear arms
Right to bear arms
The right to keep and bear arms is the assertion that people have a personal right to firearms for individual use, or a collective right to bear arms in a militia, or both....
.
Resentment of the federal government only heightened with the passage of the Brady Act
Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act
The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act is an Act of the United States Congress that, for the first time, instituted federal background checks on firearm purchasers in the United States....
in 1993 and the Assault Weapons Ban
Federal assault weapons ban
The Federal Assault Weapons Ban was a subtitle of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, a federal law in the United States that included a prohibition on the manufacture for civilian use of certain semi-automatic firearms, so called "assault weapons"...
a year later. Those laws also helped to drive more moderate gun owners into sympathy with some of the militia movement's positions. The USMS and FBI shootings of Sam and Vicki Weaver at Ruby Ridge also alienated many in the gun rights movement. Some members of the militia movement viewed this as an attempt by the government to disarm the American people, a preliminary step to clear the way for an invasion of United Nations troops and the establishment of a New World Order. Many people joined militias in order to protect themselves, their families, and their rights from perceived government intrusion.
The growth of movement had not gone unnoticed. During the 1990s public attention to the militia movement began to grow. The Oklahoma City bombing
Oklahoma City bombing
The Oklahoma City bombing was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. It was the most destructive act of terrorism on American soil until the September 11, 2001 attacks. The Oklahoma blast claimed 168 lives, including 19...
on April 19, 1995, the second anniversary of the Waco fire, drew nation-wide attention to the militia movement with the revelation that Timothy McVeigh
Timothy McVeigh
Timothy James McVeigh was a United States Army veteran and security guard who detonated a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995...
and Terry Nichols
Terry Nichols
Terry Lynn Nichols is a convicted bomber's accomplice. Prior to his incarceration, he held a variety of short-term jobs, working as a farmer, grain elevator manager, real estate salesman, ranch hand, and house husband. He met his future co-conspirator, Timothy McVeigh, during a brief stint in the...
had links to armed right wing groups. This increased public scrutiny and law enforcement pressure, and brought in more recruits due to the heightened awareness of the movement.
In March 1996, agents of the FBI and other law enforcement organizations surrounded the 960 acres (388.5 ha) eastern Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
"Justus Township" compound of the Montana Freemen
Montana Freemen
The Montana Freemen were a Christian Patriot movement based outside the town of Jordan, Montana. The members of the group referred to their land as "Justus Township" and had declared themselves no longer under the authority of any outside government...
. The Freemen were a Sovereign Citizen
Sovereign citizen movement
The sovereign citizen movement is a loose network of American litigants, commentators and financial scheme promoters, classified as an "extremist anti-government group" by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation....
group that included elements of the Christian Identity ideology, espoused common law
Common law
Common law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals rather than through legislative statutes or executive branch action...
legal theories, and rejected the legitimacy of the Federal Reserve. Montana legislator Carl Ohs mediated through the standoff. Both Randy Weaver
Randy Weaver
Randall Claude "Randy" Weaver is a former Green Beret who was at the center of a deadly confrontation with U.S. federal agents at Ruby Ridge, Idaho, in 1992.-Early life:...
(one of the besieged at Ruby Ridge
Ruby Ridge
Ruby Ridge was the site of a violent confrontation and siege in northern Idaho in 1992. It involved Randy Weaver, his family, Weaver's friend Kevin Harris, and agents of the United States Marshals Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation...
) and Bo Gritz
Bo Gritz
James Gordon "Bo" Gritz is a former United States Army Special Forces officer who served in the Vietnam War. His post-war activities notably attempted POW rescues in conjunction with the Vietnam War POW/MIA issue have proven controversial. Gritz lives near Sandy Valley, Nevada with his wife...
(a civilian negotiator at Ruby Ridge) had attempted to talk to the group but had given up in frustration, as did Colorado Senator Charlie Duke when he had attempted negotiations. A break finally came when far right leaders abandoned the group to their fate. The group surrendered peacefully after an 81 day standoff and 14 of the Freemen faced criminal charges relating to circulating millions of dollars in bogus checks and threatening the life of a federal judge. The peaceful resolution of this and other standoffs after Ruby Ridge and Waco have been credited by some to the creation of the Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG) within the U.S. Department of Justice in 1994.
Another incident occurred in Fort Davis, Texas
Fort Davis, Texas
Fort Davis is a census-designated place in Jeff Davis County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,050 at the 2000 census and 1,041 according to a 2007 estimate. It is the county seat of Jeff Davis County...
a year later in March 1997 when a faction of the self-styled "Republic of Texas
Republic of Texas (group)
The Republic of Texas is a militia group that claims that the annexation of Texas by the United States was illegal and that Texas remains an independent nation under occupation. The issue of the Legal status of Texas led the group to claim to reinstate a provisional government on December 13, 1995...
" militia group seized hostages. The Republic of Texas group believed that the annexation of Texas as a state in 1845 was illegal, that Texas should remain an independent nation, and that the legitimate government of Texas was the group's leadership. Joe and Margaret Ann Rowe were taken at gunpoint in retaliation for the arrest of member Robert J. Scheidt, who had been arrested on weapons charges. Leader Richard McLaren then declared that the group was in a state of war with the federal government. The property was then surrounded by the entire Jeff Davis County
Jeff Davis County, Texas
Jeff Davis County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. It is named for Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America. It is one of the nine counties that comprise the Trans-Pecos region of West Texas. In 2000, its population was 2,207, and 2,258 by 2009...
sheriff's department, state troopers, Texas Rangers
Texas Ranger Division
The Texas Ranger Division, commonly called the Texas Rangers, is a law enforcement agency with statewide jurisdiction in Texas, and is based in Austin, Texas...
, and agents of the FBI. McLaren's wife, Evelyn, convinced him to surrender peacefully after a week-long standoff. The McLarens and four other Republic of Texas members were sent to prison.
A 1999 US Department of Justice analysis of the potential militia threat at the Millennium conceded that the vast majority of militias were reactive (not proactive) and posed no threat. In January 2000, the FBI Project Megiddo
Project Megiddo
Project Megiddo was a report researched and written by the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation under Director Louis Freeh. Released on October 20, 1999, the report named followers of white supremacy, Christian Identity, the militia movement, Black Hebrew Israelites, and apocalyptic cults...
report stated:
- Most militias engage in a variety of anti-government rhetoric. This discourse can range from the protesting of government policies to the advocating of violence and/or the overthrow of the federal government. However, the majority of militia groups are non-violent and only a small segment of the militias actually commit acts of violence to advance their political goals and beliefs. A number of militia leaders, such as Lynn Van Huizen of the Michigan Militia Corps -Wolverines, have gone to some effort to actively rid their ranks of radical members who are inclined to carry out acts of violence and/or terrorism. Officials at the FBI Academy classify militia groups within four categories, ranging from moderate groups who do not engage in criminal activity to radical cells which commit violent acts of terrorism. It should be clearly stated that the FBI only focuses on radical elements of the militia movement capable and willing to commit violence against government, law enforcement, civilian, military and international targets.
As of 2001, the militia movement seemed to be in decline, having peaked in 1996 with 858 groups. Even the Michigan Militia (with which McVeigh and the Nichols brothers had grown frustrated due to its seeming preference for talk over action) disbanded. Prior to that, it had kicked out its most radical members in the wake of the Oklahoma City bombing; they formed the North American Militia, whose leaders, Brad Metcalf and Randy Graham, later received 40- and 55-year sentences, respectively, for terrorist plots against the IRS and federal officials.
Militias' primary forms of outreach are gun show
Gun show
A gun show is a temporary exhibition or gathering in the United States where firearms, firearm accessories, ammunition, literature, knives, jerky, militaria, and miscellaneous collectibles are displayed, bought, sold, traded, and discussed. Gun shows also often include exhibitions related to...
s, shortwave radio, newsletters, and the Internet.
Ideology
The ideologies of various Militia movements can be described as political, constitutional, conspiratorial, or community based. Militia groups claim legitimacy based on colonial writings, particularly the Declaration of IndependenceDeclaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
; Article 1, section 8 and the 2nd Amendment of the United States Constitution
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
; the Militia Act of 1792
Militia Act of 1792
The Militia Act of 1792 was a series of statutes enacted by the second United States Congress in 1792. The act provided for the President of the United States to take command of the state militias in times of imminent invasion or insurrection.-History:...
; Title 10
Title 10 of the United States Code
Title 10 of the United States Code outlines the role of armed forces in the United States Code.It provides the legal basis for the roles, missions and organization of each of the services as well as the United States Department of Defense...
, Section 311 of the United States Code
United States Code
The Code of Laws of the United States of America is a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal laws of the United States...
; and the concept of an independent wing of the citizenry that enacts its own governmental beliefs. Watchdog groups, such as the Anti-Defamation League
Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
and the Southern Poverty Law Center
Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center is an American nonprofit civil rights organization noted for its legal victories against white supremacist groups; legal representation for victims of hate groups; monitoring of alleged hate groups, militias and extremist organizations; and educational programs that...
have portrayed militias as racist, though only some militias have white supremacist ideologies. (For example, The Gadsden Alabama Minutemen who exposed the racist "Good'O'Boys Roundup" held by ATF agent Eugene Rightmyer had black members.) Robert Churchill sees a white supremacist "resistance wing" of the movement and a radical libertarian "constitutionalist wing" motivated by various, at times over lapping, concerns. The beliefs of the latter group center around opposition to the power of federal or local governments and limitations imposed by governing parties or erosions of liberties by governing parties. Some Militias are also formed in order to protect a community from outside intervention or perceived negative influence by outside parties. Some Militias have also formed around a particular ideology without all members agreeing on every particular issue. Power struggles, politics, and disagreements persist as in any organization; hence internal ideologies can change from time to time.
Some of the movement sees power of a government as a form of tyranny. Their beliefs focus on limited-government, on taxes, regulations, and gun control efforts as perceived threats to constitutional liberties. Many of their views are similar to those of the John Birch Society
John Birch Society
The John Birch Society is an American political advocacy group that supports anti-communism, limited government, a Constitutional Republic and personal freedom. It has been described as radical right-wing....
, tax protester movement, county supremacy movement, state sovereignty movement, and the states’ rights movement. Gun control is considered unconstitutional, and a move toward fascism
Fascist (epithet)
The word fascist is sometimes used to denigrate people, institutions, or groups that would not describe themselves as ideologically fascist, and that may not fall within the formal definition of the word. The Fascist party that developed in Italy in the 1920s rigidly enforced conservative values...
by the government. The controversial novel Unintended Consequences by John Ross
John Ross (author)
John Franklin Ross is the author of the underground bestselling novel Unintended Consequences, author of a regular column on the Internet, and was the Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress in 1998 in Missouri's 2nd congressional district...
in 1996 is an example of these beliefs. However, not all Militias are armed, or support the use of violence in political change.
The ideologies most commonly associated with the militia movement are the Christian Patriot movement, the Constitutional militia movement
Constitutional militia movement
The modern constitutional militia movement, the constitutionalist wing of the "militia movement" in the United States, became active in the mid 1990s in response to outrage about the violent confrontation at Ruby Ridge, the Waco Siege and gun control legislation...
, and opposition to the creation of a one world government. Most militias are derived from a local populace who come to common belief, and so ideologies tend to differ by region. Most agree upon local regulation opposed to global, federal or state regulation.
Active militia movement groups, 2010
| Milita group name | State, county or locale |
|---|---|
| 2nd Alabama Militia | Alabama Alabama Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland... , Mobile Mobile, Alabama Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest... |
| Alabama Shoals Badgers | Alabama, Tuscumbia Tuscumbia, Alabama Tuscumbia is a city in and the county seat of Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 8,423 and is included in The Shoals MSA.... |
| Alaska Citizens Militia | Alaska Alaska Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait... , Nikiski Nikiski, Alaska Nikiski is a census-designated place in Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska, United States. The population was 4,327 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Nikiski is located at .... |
| Arizona Citizens Militia | Arizona Arizona Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix... , Douglas Douglas, Arizona Douglas is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. Douglas has a border crossing with Mexico and a history of mining.The population was 14,312 at the 2000 census... |
| Arizona Militia | Arizona, Glendale Glendale, Arizona Glendale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, USA, located about nine miles northwest from Downtown Phoenix. According to 2010 Census Bureau, the population of the city is 226,721.... |
| Cochise County Militia | Arizona, Tombstone Tombstone, Arizona Tombstone is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States, founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin in what was then Pima County, Arizona Territory. It was one of the last wide-open frontier boomtowns in the American Old West. From about 1877 to 1890, the town's mines produced USD $40 to $85 million... |
| Northern Arizona Militia | Arizona, Flagstaff Flagstaff, Arizona Flagstaff is a city located in northern Arizona, in the southwestern United States. In 2010, the city's population was 65,870. The population of the Metropolitan Statistical Area was at 134,421 in 2010. It is the county seat of Coconino County... |
| Militia of Washington County | Arkansas Arkansas Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River... , Fayetteville Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks... |
| American Resistance Movement | All States, USA/Nation-Wide area |
| Northern California State Militia | California, Falcon Creek |
| State of California Unorganized Militia | California, Monrovia Monrovia, California Monrovia is a city located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles County, California, United States. The population was 36,590 at the 2010 census, down from 36,929 at the 2000 census... |
| Minutemen Militia | Colorado Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains... , Fort Collins Fort Collins, Colorado Fort Collins is a Home Rule Municipality situated on the Cache La Poudre River along the Colorado Front Range, and is the county seat and most populous city of Larimer County, Colorado, United States. Fort Collins is located north of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver. With a 2010 census... |
| Florida Free Alliance | Florida Florida Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it... , Nokomis Nokomis, Florida Nokomis is a census-designated place in Sarasota County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,334 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bradenton–Sarasota–Venice Metropolitan Statistical Area.... |
| Florida Free Militia | Florida, Palm Coast Palm Coast, Florida Palm Coast is a city in Flagler County, Florida. As of the 2010 census, the population was 75,180; it is the most populous city or town in Flagler County. Palm Coast is a principal town of the Palm Coast, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, designated in 2007... |
| Georgia Militia | Georgia Georgia (U.S. state) Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788... , Chatham County Chatham County, Georgia Chatham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. The county seat and largest city is Savannah. In the official US Census of 2010, Chatham County had a total population of 265,128 . Chatham is the most populous Georgia county outside the Atlanta metropolitan area... |
| Militia of Georgia | Georgia, Lawrenceville Lawrenceville, Georgia Lawrenceville is a city in and the county seat of Gwinnett County, Georgia, in the United States. The Census Bureau estimates the 2008 population at 29,258... |
| Idaho Citizens Constitutional Militia | Idaho Idaho Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state.... , statewide |
| North Idaho Light Foot Militia | Idaho, Bonner County Bonner County, Idaho Bonner County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Idaho. Established in 1907, it was named for Edwin L. Bonner, a ferry operator. As of the 2010 census, the county had a population of 40,877. The county seat and largest city is Sandpoint.-History:Bonner County was formed... |
| 135th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry | Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... , statewide |
| Illinois State Militia (Unorganized) 167th Battalion, 21st FF | Illinois, statewide |
| Indiana Citizens Volunteer Militia, 3rd Brigade | Indiana Indiana Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is... , Tippecanoe County Tippecanoe County, Indiana Tippecanoe County is a county located in the northwest quadrant of the U.S. state of Indiana. It was created in 1826 from Wabash County. It is part of the Lafayette, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area.... |
| Indiana Constitutional Militia | Indiana, statewide |
| Indiana Militia Corps | Indiana, Statewide |
| Indiana Sedentary Militia | Indiana, Hendricks County Hendricks County, Indiana - Towns :*Amo*Avon*Brownsburg*Clayton*Coatesville*Danville*Lizton*North Salem*Pittsboro*Plainfield*Stilesville-Townships:*Brown*Center*Clay*Eel River*Franklin*Guilford*Liberty*Lincoln*Marion*Middle*Union*Washington-Further reading:... |
| Indiana Sons of Liberty | Indiana, Statewide |
| Indiana's Greene County Militia | Indiana, Greene County Greene County, Indiana Greene County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana, and determined by the U.S. Census Bureau to include the mean center of U.S. population in 1930. As of 2010, the population was 33,165. The county seat is Bloomfield.... |
| Indiana State Militia 14th Regiment | Indiana, Owen County Owen County, Indiana Owen County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana, and determined by the U.S. Census Bureau to include the mean center of U.S. population in 1920. As of 2010, the population was 21,575... |
| Kansas State Militia | Kansas Kansas Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south... , Wichita Wichita, Kansas Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area... |
| 1st Joint Public Militia | Kentucky Kentucky The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth... , Bowling Green Bowling Green, Kentucky Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009... |
| Kentucky State Militia - Ohio Valley Command | Kentucky, Louisville Louisville, Kentucky Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096... |
| Northern Kentucky Militia 105th "Blue Guard" | Kentucky Kentucky The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth... , Bracken,Mason,Pendleton,Countys |
| Louisiana Militia | Louisiana Louisiana Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties... , statewide |
| Louisiana Unorganized Militia | Louisiana, Abbeville Abbeville, Louisiana Abbeville is a town in and the parish seat of Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, United States, 150 miles west of New Orleans. The population was 12,257 at the 2010 census... |
| Maine Constitutional Militia | Maine Maine Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost... , statewide |
| Southern Sons of Liberty | Maryland Maryland Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east... , statewide |
| Delta 5 Mobile Light Infantry Militia | Michigan Michigan Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake".... , Eaton County Eaton County, Michigan Eaton County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 107,759. The county seat is Charlotte. Eaton County was named for John Eaton, who was Secretary of War under U.S. President Andrew Jackson, making it one of Michigan's Cabinet counties... |
| East-Central Volunteer Militia of Michigan | Michigan, Lapeer County Lapeer County, Michigan -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 87,904 people, 30,729 households, and 23,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 134 people per square mile . There were 32,732 housing units at an average density of 50 per square mile... |
| Hutaree Militia Hutaree Hutaree is a militia movement group adhering to the ideology of the Christian Patriot movement, based in Adrian, Michigan, in the United States.The group was formed in early 2008... |
Michigan, Southern |
| Jackson County Volunteers | Michigan, Jackson County Jackson County, Michigan As of the census of 2000, there were 158,422 people, 58,168 households, and 40,833 families residing in the county. The population density was 224 people per square mile . There were 62,906 housing units at an average density of 89/sq mi... |
| Lenawee County Free and Independent Militia | Michigan, Adrian Adrian, Michigan As of the 2010 census Adrian had a population of 21,133. The racial and ethnic makeup of the population was 84.1% white, 4.4% black or African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 5.9% from some other race and 4.0% from two or more races... |
| Michigan Militia Michigan Militia The Michigan Militia was an organized paramilitary organization founded by Norman Olson, a former U.S. Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer, of Alanson, Michigan, USA. The organization formed around 1994 in response to perceived encroachments by the Federal Government on the rights of citizens during... |
Michigan, Redford |
| Michigan Militia Corps Wolverines 8th Division | Michigan, South Central |
| Michigan Patriot Alliance | Michigan, 20 counties |
| Northern Michigan Backyard Protection Militia | Michigan, Northern |
| Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia | Michigan, 13 counties |
| West Michigan Volunteer Militia | Michigan, Muskegon County Muskegon County, Michigan -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 170,200 people, 63,330 households, and 44,267 families residing in the county. The population density was 334 people per square mile . There were 68,556 housing units at an average density of 135 per square mile... |
| Capitol City Militia | Michigan, Eaton County and Ingham County |
| Mid Michigan Militia | Michigan,7 Counties,centered around Ingham County |
| Ocqueoc Militia | Michigan, Presque Isle County, Montmorency County, Alpena County, Cheboygan County |
| Minnesota Militia/Army of Mississippi | Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state... , St. Cloud St. Cloud, Minnesota St. Cloud is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the largest population center in the state's central region. The population was 65,842 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Stearns County... |
| Minnesota Minutemen militia | Minnesota Minnesota Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state... |
| Constitution Defense Militia of Attala County (CDMAC) | Mississippi Mississippi Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi... , Attala County Attala County, Mississippi -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 19,661 people, 7,567 households, and 5,380 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile . There were 8,639 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile... |
| East Central Mississippi Militia | Mississippi, East Central |
| Missouri Militia | Missouri Missouri Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It... , Kansas City Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties... |
| Militia of Montana Militia of Montana The Militia of Montana is an organized paramilitary organization founded by John Trochmann, a retired maker of snowmobile parts, of Noxon, Montana, USA. The organization formed from the remnants of the United Citizens for Justice in late 1992 in response to the standoff between agents of the... |
Montana Montana Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,... , Noxon Noxon, Montana Noxon is a census-designated place in Sanders County, Montana, United States. The population was 230 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Noxon is located at .... |
| New Hampshire Patriot Militia | New Hampshire New Hampshire New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian... , statewide |
| United States Constitution Rangers | New Hampshire, West Lebanon West Lebanon, New Hampshire West Lebanon, New Hampshire, is a district within the city of Lebanon on the Connecticut River. The area contains a major shopping plaza strip along New Hampshire Route 12A, serving the Upper Valley communities along Interstates 89 and 91... |
| New Jersey Militia | New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware... , Trenton Trenton, New Jersey Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913... |
| New Jersey Guardian Angels | New Jersey New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware... , Jackson |
| Wolfpack Militia | New Jersey, statewide |
| Empire State Militia 11th Field Force | New York New York New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east... , Northwestern |
| North Carolina Citizens Militia | North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... , Charlotte Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009... |
| Constitutional Militia of Clark County | Ohio Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... , Clark County Clark County, Ohio As of the census of 2000, there were 144,742 people, 56,648 households, and 39,370 families residing in the county. The population density was 362 people per square mile . There were 61,056 housing units at an average density of 153 per square mile... |
| Northeastern Ohio Defense Force 3BN | Ohio, Lisbon Lisbon, Ohio Lisbon is a village in Center Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,788 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Columbiana County.-History:... |
| Northwestern Ohio Defense Force 4BN | Ohio, Kenton Kenton, Ohio Kenton is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Ohio, United States, along the Scioto River. The population was 8,262 at the 2010 census. It is named for Kentucky/Ohio frontiersman, Simon Kenton... |
| Ohio Defense Force State Headquarters | Ohio, Zanesville Zanesville, Ohio Zanesville is a city in and the county seat of Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The population was 25,586 at the 2000 census.Zanesville was named after Ebenezer Zane, who had constructed Zane's Trace, a pioneer road through present-day Ohio... |
| Ohio Militia | Ohio, statewide |
| Southeastern Ohio Defense Force 3rd Platoon | Ohio, Belmont County Belmont County, Ohio Belmont County is a county located in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is part of the Wheeling, West Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 70,400. Its county seat is St. Clairsville... |
| Southwestern Ohio Defense Force 5BN | Ohio, Lebanon Lebanon, Ohio The population at the 2010 census was 20,033. As of the census of 2000, there were 16,962 people residing in the city. The population density was 1,440.6 people per square mile . There were 6,218 housing units at an average density of 528.1 per square mile... |
| Unorganized Militia of Champaign County | Ohio, St. Paris St. Paris, Ohio St. Paris is a village in Champaign County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,998 at the 2000 census.-History:The area where St. Paris now stands was originally inhabited by Native Americans. The first European settlers arrived in 1797 and the village was founded in 1831 by David Huffman,... |
| Oregon Militia Corps | Oregon Oregon Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern... , statewide |
| Southern Oregon Militia | Oregon, Eagle Point Eagle Point, Oregon Eagle Point is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. The population was 8,469 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-2000 Census data:... |
| Keystone Freedom Fighters | Pennsylvania Pennsylvania The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to... , Gettysburg Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and... |
| East Tennessee Militia | Tennessee Tennessee Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area... , East - |
| American Patriots for Freedom Foundation | Texas Texas Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in... , Spring Spring, Texas Spring, Texas is a census-designated place within the extraterritorial jurisdiction of Houston in Harris County, Texas, United States, north of Downtown Houston. The population was 54,298 at the 2010 census... |
| Central Texas Militia | Texas, Central |
| Texas Well Regulated Militia | Texas, Edwards County |
| Militia of Northeastern Utah | Utah Utah Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the... , Vernal Vernal, Utah Vernal, Uintah County's largest city, is located in eastern Utah near the Colorado State Line, and 175 miles east of Salt Lake City. It is bordered on the north by the Uinta Mountains, one of the few mountains ranges in the world which lie in an east-west rather than the usual north to south... |
| Virginia Citizens Militia | Virginia Virginia The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there... , Roanoke Roanoke, Virginia Roanoke is an independent city in the Mid-Atlantic U.S. state of Virginia and is the tenth-largest city in the Commonwealth. It is located in the Roanoke Valley of the Roanoke Region of Virginia. The population within the city limits was 97,032 as of 2010... |
| King County Volunteer Militia | Washington, King County King County, Washington King County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. The population in the 2010 census was 1,931,249. King is the most populous county in Washington, and the 14th most populous in the United States.... |
| Kitsap County WA Militia | Washington, Kitsap County Kitsap County, Washington Kitsap County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington, named after Chief Kitsap of the Suquamish tribe. As of 2011 state estimate, its population was 253,900. Its county seat is at Port Orchard, and its largest city is Bremerton.... |
| Washington State Militia | Washington, statewide |
See also
- 2011 Georgia terrorist plot2011 Georgia terrorist plotIn 2011, the FBI arrested four men in the U.S. state of Georgia, who were allegedly plotting to deploy explosives and biological weapons to kill a number of American politicians, media figures, Internal Revenue Service employees, and innocent civilians. The four men were Frederick Thomas, 73, Dan...
- Constitutional militia movementConstitutional militia movementThe modern constitutional militia movement, the constitutionalist wing of the "militia movement" in the United States, became active in the mid 1990s in response to outrage about the violent confrontation at Ruby Ridge, the Waco Siege and gun control legislation...
- Patriot movementPatriot movementThe Patriot Movement is a loose collection of independent minarchist social movements in the United States beginning in the latter half of the 20th century...
- Mark KoernkeMark KoernkeMark Gregory Koernke , known as "Mark from Michigan," is a prominent militia activist and shortwave radio broadcaster. As an early proponent of the black helicopters, he was largely responsible for popularizing it in appearances on Tom Valentine's radio show and in public speeches which were widely...
- Michigan MilitiaMichigan MilitiaThe Michigan Militia was an organized paramilitary organization founded by Norman Olson, a former U.S. Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer, of Alanson, Michigan, USA. The organization formed around 1994 in response to perceived encroachments by the Federal Government on the rights of citizens during...
- Minuteman Project
- Minutemen (anti-Communist organization)Minutemen (anti-Communist organization)The Minutemen was a militant anti-Communist organization formed in the United States in the early 1960s. The founder and head of the right-wing group was Robert Bolivar DePugh, a biochemist from Norborne, Missouri. The Minutemen believed that Communism would soon take over all of America. The group...
- New World Order (conspiracy theory)