Each of the Thirteen Colonies that became the United States when they declared their independence in 1776 had militia units that served on the Patriot side during the American Revolutionary War. The history of militia in the United States dates from the colonial era. Based on the English system, colonial militias were drawn from the body of adult male citizens of a community, town, or local region. Because there was no standing English Army before the English Civil War, and subsequently the English Army and later the British Army had few regulars garrisoning North America, colonial militia served a vital role in local conflicts, particularly in the French and Indian Wars. Before shooting began in the American War of Independence, American revolutionaries took control of the militia system, reinvigorating training and excluding men with Loyalist inclinations.John Shy, "Mobilizing Armed Force in the American Revolution", in John Parker and Carol Urness, eds., The American Revolution: A Heritage of Change (Minneapolis, 1975), pp. 104–5. Regulation of the militia was codified by the Second Continental Congress with the Articles of Confederation. The revolutionaries also created a full-time regular army—the Continental Army—but because of manpower shortages the militia provided short-term support to the regulars in the field throughout the war.
In colonial era Anglo-American usage, militia service was distinguished from military service in that the latter was normally a commitment for a fixed period of time of at least a year, for a salary, whereas militia was only to meet a threat, or prepare to meet a threat, for periods of time expected to be short. Militia persons were normally expected to provide their own weapons, equipment, or supplies, although they may later be compensated for losses or expenditures.Stephen P. Halbrook, "The Right of the People or the Power of the State Bearing Arms, Arming Militias, and the Second Amendment," Valparaiso Law Review, vol. 26, number 1, page 131 (1991).
Many of the states continued to maintain their militia after the American Revolution until after the U.S. Civil War. Many of the state National Guards trace their roots to the militia from the American Revolution.
The lists below show the known militia units by state for the original colonies plus Vermont.The lists of state militias do not contain Continental Army units, unless they also served as militia units at some time during the Revolutionary War. Some states also had state units that were not militia or Continental Army.
Connecticut
Revolutionary War units:
Governor's Guard: 1st Company Governor's Foot Guard, 1771 2nd Company Governor's Foot Guard, 1775 1st Company Governor's Horse Guards, 1778 2nd Connecticut Light Horse, 1777 5th Connecticut Light Horse, 1776–79 Backus' Regiment of Light Horse, 1776 Skinner's Regiment of Light Horse, 1776 Starr's Regiment of Light Horse, 1779 Seymour's Regiment of Light Dragoons 1st Battalion State Regiment, 1776–77 1st Regiment of Militia, 1778–79 2nd Regiment of Militia, 1776 3rd Regiment of Foot, 1775 3rd Regiment of Militia, 1776 4th Regiment of Militia, 1775–76 5th Regiment of Militia, 1775–76 7th Regiment of Militia, 1775–76 8th Regiment of Militia, 1775–76 8th Regiment of Militia, 1780 9th Regiment of Militia, 1776–81 10th Regiment of Militia, 1776–77 11th Regiment of Militia, 1774 12th Regiment of Militia, 1776 13th Regiment of Militia, 1776 16th Regiment of Militia, 1776 18th Regiment of Militia, 1776 19th Regiment of Militia, 1774-83 20th Regiment of Militia, 1779–81 21st Regiment of Militia, 1778–81 22nd Regiment of Militia, 1776 25th Regiment of Militia, 1776–78 33rd Regiment of Militia, 1775 Belding's Regiment, 1777 Bradley's Regiment, 1776–77 Burrell's Regiment, 1776–77 Canfield's Regiment of Militia, 1781 Chapman's Regiment of Militia, 1778 Chester's Regiment of Militia, 1776–77 Cook's Regiment of Militia, 1777 Douglas' Regiment of Levies, 1776 Douglas' Regiment, 1776 Elmore's Battalion, 1776–77 Ely's Regiment, 1777 Enos' Regiment, 1776–77 Gallup's Regiment, 1779 Gay's Regiment, 1776 Hooker's Regiment of Militia, 1777 Johnson's Regiment of Militia, 1778 Latimer's Regiment of Militia, 1777–78 Lewis' Regiment, 1776 Mason's Regiment of Militia, 1778 McClellan's Regiment, 1777–82 Mead's Regiment of Militia, 1779 Mott's Regiment of Militia, 1776 Newberry's Regiment, 1777 Parker's Company of Teamsters, 1778 Parson's Regiment, 1776 Parson's Regiment of Militia, 1777 Porter's Regiment, 1781 Sage's Regiment, 1776–77 Silliman's Regiment, 1776 Talcott's Regiment, 1776 Thompson's Company Thompson's Regiment, 1777 Tyler's Regiment, 1777 Ward's Regiment, 1777 Waterbury's Regiment, 1776–78 Whiting's Regiment, 1777 Wells' Regiment of Militia, 1779 Wells' Regiment, 1780–81
Delaware
The first militia in Delaware was formed when Swedish settlers took up arms to defend Fort Christina (which was at the time a Swedish settlement) against Dutch invaders. During the American Revolutionary War, Delaware raised several units of militia in support of the Patriot side of the war. In the War of 1812, all of the Delaware volunteer units saw combat at Lewes, where they comprised the majority of an American force that drove off a Royal Navy squadron seeking control of the Delaware River. Despite the federal government initially prohibiting volunteer units the Mexican–American War, a volunteer unit raised in Delaware would serve in the battles of Contreras, Cherubusco, Molino del Rey, and Chapultepec, losing so many men that the unit was nicknamed "The Bloody 11th." During the American Civil War, Delaware would raise multiple units in support of the Union cause. During the Spanish–American War, the 1st Delaware Volunteer Infantry was mustered into federal service but not deployed abroad. With the passage of the Militia Act of 1903, all state militia units were folded into the National Guard of the United States, largely turning the state militias from a state-funded and controlled force to a reserve component of the federal military.
Revolutionary War Units: 1st Battalion, New Castle County, 1777 2nd Regiment, New Castle County, 1778–81 2nd Battalion of Militia, 1776 2nd Regiment of Militia, 1780 7th Regiment of Militia, 1782 Flying Camp Battalion, 1776 Kent County Militia Latimer's Independent Company, 1776
Georgia
The Georgia Militia existed from 1733 to 1879. It was originally planned by General James Oglethorpe prior to the founding of the Province of Georgia, the British colony that would become the U.S. state of Georgia. One reason for the founding of the colony was to act as a buffer between the Spanish settlements in Florida and the British colonies to the north.The Historical Society of the Georgia National Guard
Revolutionary War units: Emanuel's Regiment of Militia, 1781–82Robertson and McDonald, Muster Rolls Georgia Hussars, 1736 Liberty Independent Troop, 1776 1st Brigade Georgia Militia 1st Regiment Georgia Militia, Light Horse Troop
Maryland
First Company of the First Battalion Of Maryland, Smallwood's Annapolis, 1776 Second Company of the First Battalion Of Maryland, Annapolis, 1776 Third Company of the First Battalion Of Maryland, Annapolis, 1776 Fourth Company of the First Battalion Of Maryland, Baltimore, 1776 Fifth Company of the First Battalion Of Maryland, Nathaniel Ramsey's, Annapolis, 1776 Sixth Company of the First Battalion Of Maryland, Annapolis, 1776 Seventh Company of the First Battalion Of Maryland, Annapolis, 1776 Eighth Company of the First Battalion of Maryland, Samuel Smith's, Baltimore, 1776 Ninth Company of Light Infantry, Annapolis, 1776 First Independent Maryland Company, Charles and Calvert Counties, 1776 Second Independent Company, Somerset County (Gunby), 1776 Third Independent Maryland Company, Worcester County, 1776 Fourth Independent Maryland Company, Talbot County, 1776 Fifth Independent Maryland Company, St. Mary's County, 1776 Sixth Independent Company, Dorchester County (Thomas Woolford), 1776 Seventh Independent Company, Queen Anne's and Kent Counties, 1776 Gale's Independent Company of Artillery, 1779–80 Smith's Artillery, 2nd and 3rd Companies, 1783 34th Battalion of Militia, 1776 37th Battalion of Militia, 1777 Extraordinary Regiment, 1780 Flying Camp Regiment (Ewing's), 1776 Flying Camp Regiment (Griffith's), 1776 Flying Camp Regiment (Richardson's), 1776 Flying Camp Militia, Harford County (Capt. Robert Harris'), 1776 Flying Camp Militia, Harford Greens (Harford County, Capt. Francis Holland), 1776 Flying Camp Militia, Montgomery County (Capt. Richard Smith's), 1776 Flying Camp Militia (Capt. John Oglevee's), Cecil County 1776 Flying Camp Militia, St. Mary's County (Capt. Forrest) Flying Camp Militia, Charles County (Capt. Hanson), 1776 Flying Camp Militia, Calvert County (Capt. Brooke), 1776 Flying Camp Militia, Cecil County (Maxwell's), 1776 Flying Camp Militia, Prince George's County (Capt. Hawkins Lowe), 1776 Flying Camp Militia (Bowie's Third Battalion), 1776 Flying Camp Militia, Frederick County (Hynes) 1776 Flying Camp Militia in the Lower District of Frederick County (Burgess'), 1776 Flying Camp Militia, Frederick County (Maroney's), 1776 Eleventh Battalion, Prince George's County (Capt. Magruder) 1776 Flying Camp Militia, 18th Battalion, Cecil County (George's), 1776 Flying Camp Militia, Kent County (Perkins), 1776 Capt. Clapsadle's Return Guns, 1776 Anne Arundel County Battalion (Capt. Norwood and Dorsey), 1776 Capt. Tillard's Company, 1776 Minute Company, Queen Ann's County, 1776 Minute Company, Kent County (William Henry), 1776 Capt. James Disney Jr.'s Battalion, 1776 Flying Camp Militia, Capt. Mantz's Company Flying Camp Militia, Capt. Jacob Good's Company, Carroll County Flying Camp Militia, Cecil County (Evans), 1776 Campbell's Frederick County-Upper District, 1776 Capt. Henry Hardman's Return, 1776 Capt. Zachariah Maccubbin's Baltimore County, 1776 Lansdale's Detachment, 1783 Marbury's Detachment, 1784 Washington County Militia Company, 1777 Captain Robert Wright's Company of Militia, 1777 Select Militia of 1781, Frederick County, 1781 The Ship's Company, 1777 Baltimore Town Battalion (Yates, Bussey), 1776 Capt. Paca's Harford County, 1776 Capt. Thos. Smyth, Jr.'s Company Capt. John Dean's Queen Anne's County, 1776 Capt. Goldsborough's Company, Talbot County 1776 Richardson's Caroline County Company, 1776 Capt. Fiddeman's Company Burk's Dorchester County Company, 1776 Creager's Frederick County-Middle District, 1776 Rawling's Maryland and Virginia Rifle Regiment (six companies, 1778)
Massachusetts
Revolutionary War units:
1st Regiment of Militia, 1776 First Bristol Regiment, 1776–80 1st Regiment of Guards, 1778 3rd Regiment of Militia, 1779 4th Regiment of Militia, 1777–80 18th Regiment of Militia, 1775 30th Regiment of Foot Massachusetts militia, 1775–1781 25th Regiment of Foot Massachusetts Militia, 1775 32nd Regiment of Militia, 1775 Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts, 1638 Ashley's Regiment of Militia, 1776–77 Bailey's Regiment of Militia Brewer's Regiment, 1776 Brooks' Regiment of Militia, 1778 Bucks of America, 1781 Bullards' Regiment of Militia, 1777 Burt's Company of Militia, 1776–77 Cady's Regiment, 1776 Carpenter's Regiment of Militia (First Bristol Regiment) Cary's Regiment of Militia, 1780 Cary's Regiment, 1776 Cogswell's Regiment of Militia, 1775–77 Cushing's Regiment of Militia, 1777 Denny's Regiment of Militia Fellows' Regiment, 1775 French's Regiment, 1777 Frye's Regiment, 1775 Gage's Regiment of Militia (4th Essex County Militia Regiment), 1777 Gerrish's Regiment, 1778 (Massachusetts Line) Gill's Regiment of Militia, 1777 Holman's Regiment of Militia, 1777 Independent Company of Cadets, Massachusetts Volunteer Militia (First Corps of Cadets), 1741