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((Short description|Political movement of paramilitary groups in the US))
((Distinguish|State defense force|United States Militia))
((Use mdy dates|date=February 2024))
((Use American English|date=February 2024))
[[File:Charlottesville "Unite the Right" Rally (35806115363).jpg|thumb|"[[Three Percenters]]" patrol [[Market Street Park]] (then known as Emancipation Park) in [[Charlottesville, Virginia]] during the 2017 [[Unite the Right rally]].]]

'''American militia movement''' is a term used by [[Law enforcement in the United States|law enforcement]] and security analysts to refer to a number of private organizations that include [[paramilitary]] or similar elements. These groups may refer to themselves as [[Militia (United States)|militia]], unorganized militia,<ref>Mulloy, Darren (2004) ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=aaBKyuLRjR0C American Extremism: History, Politics and the Militia Movement]'', Routledge.</ref> and '''constitutional militia'''.<ref>Williams, David C. (2003) [https://books.google.com/books?id=9IReoC_EcJ4C&pg=PA363 ''The mythic meanings of the Second Amendment: taming political violence in a constitutional republic'']. Yale University Press. p. 363. ((ISBN|0-300-09562-7))</ref> While groups such as the [[Posse Comitatus (organization)|Posse Comitatus]] existed as early as the 1980s,<ref name="CAMO"/> the movement gained momentum after standoffs with government agents in the early 1990s. By the mid-1990s, such groups were active in all 50 US states, with membership estimated at between 20,000 and 60,000.<ref name="RIGHT">Berlet, Chip & Lyons, Matthew (2000). ''[http://www.researchforprogress.us/rwpop/nwo.html Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort] ((Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416011457/http://www.researchforprogress.us/rwpop/nwo.html |date=April 16, 2016 ))'', Guilford. ((ISBN|1-57230-562-2))</ref> The movement is most closely associated with the [[American right-wing]].
==History==
The catalysts of the American militia movement started with the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]]'s 1992 shootout with [[Randy Weaver]] at [[Ruby Ridge]], and the 1993 [[Waco siege]] which [[David Koresh]] and the [[Branch Davidians]] were involved in at Mt. Carmel in [[Waco, Texas]].<ref name="ANGRY">[http://www.publiceye.org/rightist/dj_mili.html Rise Of Citizen Militias: Angry White Guys With Guns] Daniel Junas ''CovertAction Quarterly'' April 24, 1995</ref><ref>[[Morris Dees]], ''Gathering Storm: America's Militia Threat''. Harper Perennial (April 23, 1997) ((ISBN|0-06-092789-5))</ref><ref name="ARMING">Robert H. Churchill, "Arming for the Last Battle: Secular and Religious Millennial Impulses within the Militia Movement", 1999 Annual Conference of the Center for Millennial Studies, Boston University, Boston, MA, November 9, 1999. [http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/CHURCHILL/CMS_Paper.pdf Online copy] ((Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414053651/http://uhaweb.hartford.edu/CHURCHILL/CMS_Paper.pdf |date=April 14, 2008 ))</ref> Critic [[Mark Pitcavage]] described the predecessors of the modern militia movement:<ref name="CAMO">Pitcavage, Mark; Institute for Intergovernmental Research: ''Camouflage and Conspiracy. The Militia Movement From Ruby Ridge to Y2K''. American Behavioral Scientist, Vol. 44, No. 6, Pages 957–981, SAGE Publications, 2001.</ref>

((Blockquote|The militia movement is a [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]] movement that arose following controversial standoffs in the 1990s. It inherited paramilitary traditions of earlier groups, especially the conspiratorial, anti-government [[Posse Comitatus (organization)|Posse Comitatus]]. The militia movement claims that militia groups are sanctioned by law but uncontrolled by government; in fact, they are designed to oppose a tyrannical government. The movement's ideology has led some adherents to commit criminal acts, including stockpiling illegal weapons and explosives and plotting to destroy buildings or assassinate public officials, as well as lesser confrontations.))

The [[Oklahoma City bombing]] on April 19, 1995, the second anniversary of the Waco fire, drew nationwide attention to the militia movement because [[Timothy McVeigh]] was associated with the [[Michigan Militia]], he possibly attended meetings before the attack.<ref>((Cite web|date=April 20, 2015|title=Michigan Militia still active 20 years after Oklahoma City bombing|url=https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/2015/04/militias_remains_active_20_yea.html|access-date=September 7, 2020|website=mlive|language=en))</ref> This increased public scrutiny and law enforcement pressure, and brought in more recruits due to the heightened awareness of the movement.<ref name="MILITIA">[http://www.publiceye.org/rightist/milnatbl.html Militia Nation] Chip Berlet and Matthew N. Lyons ''Progressive Magazine''</ref>

In March 1996, agents of the FBI and other law enforcement organizations surrounded the ((convert|960|acre|ha|adj=on)) eastern [[Montana]] "Justus Township" compound of the [[Montana Freemen]]. The Freemen were a [[Sovereign Citizen Movement|Sovereign Citizen]] group that included elements of the [[Christian Identity]] ideology, espoused [[common law]] legal theories, and rejected the legitimacy of the [[Federal Reserve]].<ref name="RIGHT"/> 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.<ref name="SURRENDER">[http://www.cnn.com/US/9606/13/freemen.11p/ Freemen surrender peacefully to FBI] ''Cable News Network'' June 14, 1996</ref> A break finally came when far right leaders abandoned the group to their fate.<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9902E5D61739F936A25755C0A960958260 Freemen Were Alone] ''New York Times'' June 15, 1996</ref> 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.<ref name="SURRENDER"/> 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]]) in the U.S. Department of Justice in 1994.<ref>Christopher Whitcomb, ''Cold Zero: Inside the FBI Hostage Rescue Team''. ((ISBN|0-552-14788-5)). (Covers [[Ruby Ridge]], [[Waco Siege]] and creation of [[CIRG]].)</ref>

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.<ref>United States Department of Justice, "Operation Megiddo", November 2, 1999, page 22; cited in Robert H. Churchill, "Arming for the Last Battle: Secular and Religious Millennial Impulses within the Militia Movement", 1999 Annual Conference of the Center for Millennial Studies, Boston University, Boston, MA, November 9, 1999.</ref> By 2001, the militia movement seemed to be in decline, having peaked in 1996 with 858 groups.<ref>((cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1325330.stm | work=BBC News | title=Militias 'in retreat' | date=May 11, 2001))</ref> With the [[Financial crisis of 2007–2008|post-2007 global financial crisis]] and the election of [[Barack Obama]] to the United States presidency in 2008, militia activity experienced a resurgence.<ref name=carter2012>((cite book | editor=Carter, Gregg Lee | title=Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law, Volume 1 | chapter=Militias | pages=575–6 | year=2012))</ref><ref>((cite web |url=http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/03/07/10602763-election-economy-spark-explosive-growth-of-militias?lite|title=Election, economy spark explosive growth of militias|author=Stephanie Schendel|date=March 7, 2012|work=NBC News))</ref><ref>((cite web|url=http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/americas/americas-militiamen-resurgent-since-obama-election|title=America's militiamen resurgent since Obama election|author=Nicholas Kimbrell|date=February 13, 2010 |publisher=The National))</ref> Militia groups have recently been involved in several high-profile standoffs, including [[Bundy standoff|the Bundy Standoff]] in 2014 and the [[Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge]] in 2016.

Many militia groups strongly supported the candidacy and presidency of [[Donald Trump]], with their focus on anti-government sentiment being replaced with opposing perceived enemies of Trump who were often alleged to be deeply imbedded within the bureaucracy or "[[deep state]]". Starting in 2020, militia groups were heavily involved in rallies against COVID-19 related restrictions, gun control measures, and [[Black Lives Matter]] protests.<ref>((Cite web|title=The Militia Movement (2020)|url=https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounders/the-militia-movement-2020|access-date=November 26, 2021|website=Anti-Defamation League|language=en))</ref> After Trump's loss in the [[2020 United States presidential election|2020 presidential election]], many militia groups mobilized to protest the results, including large scale participation in the "[[Stop The Steal]]" movement, promoting false claims that the election result was fraudulent.<ref name=":0">((Cite news|date=January 21, 2021|title=Capitol riots: Are US militia groups becoming more active?|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-55638579|access-date=November 26, 2021))</ref><ref name=":1">((Cite web|last=Doxsee|first=Catrina|date=August 12, 2021|title=Examining Extremism: The Militia Movement|url=https://www.csis.org/blogs/examining-extremism/examining-extremism-militia-movement|url-status=live|access-date=November 26, 2021|website=[[Center for Strategic and International Studies]]|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812161127/https://www.csis.org/blogs/examining-extremism/examining-extremism-militia-movement |archive-date=August 12, 2021 ))</ref>

In the [[2021 United States Capitol attack|storming of the US Capitol]] on January 6, 2021, members with ties to various militia groups participated in the attack.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> In recent years, there have been increasing incidents in which [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] aligned themselves with militia groups in exchange for their support.<ref>((Cite news|last1=Kirkpatrick|first1=David D.|last2=McIntire|first2=Mike|date=February 9, 2021|title='Its Own Domestic Army': How the G.O.P. Allied Itself With Militants|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/08/us/militias-republicans-michigan.html|access-date=November 26, 2021|issn=0362-4331))</ref><ref>((Cite web|last=Arnsdorf|first=Isaac|date=October 20, 2021|title=Oath Keepers in the State House: How a Militia Movement Took Root in the Republican Mainstream|url=https://www.propublica.org/article/oath-keepers-in-the-state-house-how-a-militia-movement-took-root-in-the-republican-mainstream?token=2RkFy4vhfD27DYBSAlofr7QwFP2EFRcP|url-status=live|access-date=November 26, 2021|website=[[ProPublica]]|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022215108/https://www.propublica.org/article/oath-keepers-in-the-state-house-how-a-militia-movement-took-root-in-the-republican-mainstream?token=2RkFy4vhfD27DYBSAlofr7QwFP2EFRcP |archive-date=October 22, 2021 ))</ref><ref>((Cite web|last=Felbab-Brown|first=Vanda|date=January 21, 2021|title=How to counter right-wing armed groups in the United States|url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/01/21/how-to-counter-right-wing-armed-groups-in-the-united-states/|url-status=live|access-date=November 26, 2021|website=[[Brookings Institution|Brookings]]|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122074225/https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/01/21/how-to-counter-right-wing-armed-groups-in-the-united-states/ |archive-date=January 22, 2021 ))</ref>

On January 11, 2024, Congressman [[Jamie Raskin]] and Senator [[Ed Markey]] proposed the ''Preventing Private Paramilitary Activity Act''  as an attempt to federally prohibit "publicly patrolling, drilling, or engaging in [harmful paramilitary tactics]" and "falsely assuming the functions of law enforcement."<ref> [https://raskin.house.gov/press-releases?id=5BF59D31-5595-49E4-845D-BE0CAE3C6506 Following January 6th Anniversary, Congressman Raskin and Senator Markey Introduce Legislation to Stop Private Paramilitary Activity] ((Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240111213529/https://raskin.house.gov/press-releases?id=5BF59D31-5595-49E4-845D-BE0CAE3C6506|date=January 11, 2024))</ref> The bill as of yet has not been codified into law.

===Legal legitimacy===
((See also|Title 32 of the United States Code))
Most militia organizations envisage themselves as legally legitimate organizations, despite the fact that all 50 states prohibit private paramilitary activity.<ref>((Cite web|title=Are Citizen Militias Legal?|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/08/30/907720068/are-citizen-militias-legal|access-date=October 17, 2020|website=NPR.org|language=en))</ref><ref>((Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/11/03/all-states-prohibit-paramilitary-militia-extremists-but/6123774002/|title=All states prohibit 'militia extremists' and paramilitary activities. So why aren't they stopped?|first=Kristine|last=Phillips|website=USA TODAY))</ref><ref>((Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-are-militias-and-are-they-legal-11602370719|title=What Are Militias and Are They Legal?|first=Rachael|last=Levy|newspaper=Wall Street Journal |date=October 10, 2020|via=www.wsj.com))</ref> Others subscribe to the "[[Insurrectionist Theory|insurrection theory]]" which describes the right of the [[body politic]] to rebel against the established government in the face of tyranny. (In the 1951 case ''[[Dennis v. United States]]'', the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the insurrection theory, stating that as long as the government provides for free elections and trials by jury, "political self-defense" cannot be undertaken.)<ref>((cite journal|last1=Hardaway|first1=Robert|title=The Inconvenient Militia Clause of the Second Amendment: Why the Supreme Court Declines to Resolve the Debate over the Right to Bear Arms|journal=St. John's Journal of Legal Commentary|date=2002|issue=16))</ref>

===Opposition to the government===
((Main|Radical right (United States)))
((see also|Conspiracy theories in United States politics))
Beliefs within the militia movement encompass a combination of ideologies and positions commonly associated with various groups, including the [[Sovereign citizen movement|sovereign citizens movement]], the 1960s [[Tax protester|tax protest movement]], the [[John Birch Society]], the [[Tea Party movement]], and since 2016, [[Trumpism]]. These beliefs often revolve around anti-government sentiments, opposition to perceived encroachments on individual rights, and skepticism towards established institutions. The militia movement has gained attention for its advocacy of armed resistance and its involvement in controversial incidents, such as standoffs with law enforcement. It is important to note that not all individuals who identify with the militia movement share the same beliefs or engage in illegal activities.<ref name=":2">((Cite web |title=The Militia Movement (2020) ((!)) ADL |url=https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/militia-movement-2020 |access-date=October 9, 2023 |website=www.adl.org |language=en |quote=The militia movement has also always had a small number of people of color as members, and occasionally as leaders. [...] These facts do not absolve the militia movement of racism or prejudice—especially anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim bigotry—but it does mean that the militia movement is quite distinct from white supremacist movements such as neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan groups, or the alt right.))</ref>

While militia organizations vary in their ideologies and objectives, with many high-profile organizations espousing [[Tax protester|anti-tax]], [[Opposition to immigration|anti-immigration]], [[Survivalism|survivalist]], [[Sovereign citizen movement|sovereign citizen]], [[Right-libertarianism|libertarian]], land rights views, they generally share a common belief in the imminent or actual rise of a tyrannical global [[Socialism|socialist]] government in the United States which, they believe, must be confronted through armed force.<ref name=":2" /><ref>((cite news|last1=Hannaford|first1=Alex|title=The truth behind America's 'civilian militias'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7944563/The-truth-behind-Americas-civilian-militias.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7944563/The-truth-behind-Americas-civilian-militias.html |archive-date=January 12, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=January 4, 2016|work=Daily Telegraph|date=August 19, 2010))((cbignore))</ref><ref>((cite web|title=Militia History and Law FAQ|url=http://archive.adl.org/mwd/faq3.html|website=adl.org|publisher=[[Anti-Defamation League]]|access-date=January 4, 2016|archive-date=January 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109165404/http://archive.adl.org/mwd/faq3.html|url-status=dead))</ref> This tyrannical government is linked to the [[New World Order (conspiracy theory)|New World Order conspiracy theory]] and is named by the militiamen as the eponymous conspiracy theory.<ref>[https://think.kera.org/2016/08/30/the-hate-map-of-america/ The Hate Map Of America] - Interview with Mark Potok, investigative reporter for the Southern Poverty Law Center</ref> 

==Active groups part of the militia movement==
((Main|List of militia organizations in the United States))((Dynamic list))
<!--Please do add names to this list unless they already have Wikipedia articles, or could reasonably be expected to be the subject of an article or article section. For names not linked to articles, you must add at least one reference from a reliable source indicating the subjects notability as a militia, or the name will probably be removed. links to lists of militias don't necessarily show individual notability, and wikipedia is not a directory.-->
The [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] identified 334 militia groups at a peak in 2011. It identified 276 in 2015, up from 202 in 2014 and in 2022 nearly 200 groups still exist, down from 2015.<ref>((Cite web
| url = https://www.splcenter.org/news/2016/01/04/antigovernment-militia-groups-grew-more-one-third-last-year
| title = Antigovernment militia groups grew by more than one-third in last year
| website = Southern Poverty Law Center
| access-date = February 28, 2016
))</ref>
{| class="wikitable sortable" border="1" 
|+United States militia movement groups<ref name="urlActive">((cite web |url=http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2010/spring/active-patriot-groups-in-the-united-s |title=Active 'Patriot' Groups in the United States in 2009 &#124; Southern Poverty Law Center  |access-date=April 1, 2010))</ref>
!Group name!!Area!!Beliefs!!((Ref.|multi=yes))
|-
| [[3 Percenters]]
|Nationwide
|[[Right Libertarianism in the United States|Right-libertarianism]]<ref>((Cite book |last=Nance |first=Malcolm |title=They Want to Kill Americans: The Militias, Terrorists, and Deranged Ideology of the Trump Insurgency |publisher=St. Martin's Publishing Group |year=2022 |isbn=978-1250279002 |pages=319–320))</ref> (majority)
[[Patriot movement]]<br>[[Second Amendment]] [[Constitutionalism in the United States|Constitutionalism]]((Source needed|date=October 2023))
|<ref>((Cite web |title=Three Percenters ((!)) ADL |url=https://www.adl.org/resources/backgrounder/three-percenters |access-date=October 24, 2023 |website=www.adl.org |language=en |quote=Three Percenters are part of the militia movement))</ref><ref>((cite journal|last=Sunshine|first=Spencer|date=January 5, 2016|url=http://www.politicalresearch.org/2016/01/05/profiles-on-the-right-three-percenters/|title=Profiles on the Right: Three Percenters|journal=Political Research Associates|access-date=February 11, 2016))</ref>
|-
| [[Arizona Border Recon]]
|[[Arizona]]
|
|<ref>((cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2023-12-18/arizona-border-militias-extremism-mainstream-immigration |title=As border extremism goes mainstream, vigilante groups take a starring role |last=Hamilton |first=Keegan |date=18 December 2023 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |publisher= |access-date=23 March 2023 |quote=))</ref>
|-
| [[Hutaree]]
|[[Michigan]], southern
|[[Christian nationalism]]<br>[[Christian Patriot movement]]
|<ref>"[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8593975.stm US 'Christian militants' charged after FBI raids]" ''[[BBC]]'', March 30, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2016.</ref>
|-
| [[Idaho Light Foot Militia]]
|[[Idaho]], statewide
|[[Patriot movement]]
|<ref>((cite web |url=http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/02/13085293-teeth-of-the-constitution-light-foot-militia-rises-in-idahos-backcountry?lite |title='Teeth of the Constitution:' Light Foot Militia rises in Idaho's backcountry |last1=McKnight |first1=Matt Mills |date=August 2, 2012 |work=NBC News |access-date=November 9, 2019 ))</ref>
|-
| [[Michigan Militia]]
|[[Michigan]], [[Redford, Michigan|Redford]]
|[[Patriot movement]]
|<ref>((cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/01/us/01michigan.html?_r=0 |title=Militia Draws Distinctions Between Groups |last=Johnson |first=Kirk |date=March 31, 2010 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=November 9, 2019 ))</ref>
|-
| [[Militia of Montana]]
|[[Montana]], [[Noxon, Montana|Noxon]]
|[[Constitutionalism in the United States|American constitutionalism]]((Source needed|date=October 2023))<br>[[American nationalism]]<br>[[Accelerationism]]((Source needed|date=October 2023))
|<ref>((Cite web |url=http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1995/06/19/the-road-to-paranoia | last=Kelly | first=Michael | title=THE ROAD TO PARANOIA | newspaper=[[The New Yorker]] | date=June 19, 1995 | access-date=January 11, 2016))</ref>
|-
| [[Missouri Citizens Militia]]
|[[Missouri]], statewide
|
|<ref>((cite web |url=http://www.demo-mo.com/2015/08/07/27786_guns-rights-and-the-missouri-citizen.html?rh=1 |title=Guns, rights and the Missouri Citizen Militia |last=Londberg |first=Max |date=August 7, 2015 |access-date=May 15, 2015 ))</ref>
|-
|[[Missouri Militia]]
|[[Missouri]], [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]]
|
|<ref>((cite web |url=http://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2011/06/22/watch-out-here-comes-the-missouri-militia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920020124/http://www.riverfronttimes.com/newsblog/2011/06/22/watch-out-here-comes-the-missouri-militia |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 20, 2015 |title=Watch Out: Here Comes the Missouri Militia |first=Albert |last=Samaha |work=[[The Riverfront Times]] |date=June 22, 2011 |access-date=November 9, 2019))</ref>
|-
|[[New York Light Foot Militia]]
|[[New York (state)|New York]], statewide
|[[Patriot movement]]
|<ref>((cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/aug/15/charlottesville-militia-free-speech-violence |title=Militia leaders who descended on Charlottesville condemn 'rightwing lunatics' |last=Walters |first=Joanna |date=August 15, 2017 |website=[[TheGuardian.com]] |access-date=September 23, 2017 ))</ref>
|-
| [[Oath Keepers]]
|Nationwide
|[[Patriot movement]]<br>[[Trumpism]]
|<ref>((cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/03/oath-keepers-militia-portland-free-speech-rally|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=June 4, 2017|title=Oath Keepers militia will attend Portland 'free speech' rally, says leader))</ref>
|-
| [[Ohio Defense Force]]
|[[Ohio]], statewide
|
|<ref>((cite magazine |url=http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2022636,00.html |title=The Secret World of Extreme Militias |last=Gellman |first=Barton |date=September 30, 2010 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=February 22, 2017 ))</ref>
|-
|Pennsylvania Light Foot Militia
|[[Pennsylvania]]
|
|<ref>((Cite web|url=https://palightfootmilitia.com/|title=Pennsylvania Light Foot Militia|website=Pennsylvania Light Foot Militia))</ref>
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|Texas Light Foot Militia
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|<ref>((cite news|url=http://lonestar995fm.com/texas-town-has-citizen-militia-standing-guard-at-recruiters-office/ |title=Texas Town Has Citizen Militia Standing Guard at Recruiters Office |last1=Brannson |first1=Doug |date=July 22, 2015 |work=[[KQBR]] |publisher=[[Townsquare Media|Townsquare Media, Inc.]] |access-date=January 14, 2016 ))</ref>
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=== Constitutionalists ===
((see also|Originalism))
The [[Constitutionalism in the United States|constitutionalist]] wing of the American militia movement became active in the mid 1990s in a response of outrage about the violent confrontation at [[Ruby Ridge]], the [[Waco Siege]] and [[gun control]] legislation.<ref>((cite web|url=https://www.constitution.org/mil/cmm_who.htm|title=Who are the constitutional militia movement?|work=Constitution Society|access-date=April 26, 2020))</ref><ref>Beaumont, Roger; "American as Cherry Pie? Unofficial Militias in American History", Journal of Conflict Studies Vol. XIX No. 2, Fall 1999: University of New Brunswick</ref> The movement is composed largely of [[veteran]]s, [[Libertarianism in the United States|libertarians]], and [[Gun politics in the United States|Second Amendment advocates]] who share a common belief in individual liberties and civil responsibilities, according to their interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, as well as disdain for what are perceived to be abusive, usurpative, or tyrannical federal government decisions and actions, and a set of ideals associated with the values of the militia they see embodied in the Constitution.<ref>Jonathan Karl, The Right to Bear Arms: The Rise of America's New Militias (New York: Harper, 1995)</ref><ref>Churchill, Robert H., Boston University, 1999 Annual Conference of the Center for Millennial Studies. ''Arming for the Last Battle: Secular and Religious Millennial Impulses within the Militia Movement.''</ref> From the inception of the modern movement there has been controversy over whether the movement was an important part of a complete response to many important threats, or [[Domestic terrorism in the United States|a threat in itself]].<ref name="STGTF" />

Scholars Stanley C. Weeber and Daniel G. Rodeheaver offer a description of the constitutionalist militia movement that identifies four types:<ref>Weeber, Stanley C., and Daniel Gilbert Rodeheaver. ''Militias in the New Millennium A Test of Smelser's Theory of Collective Behavior'' Page 61.</ref>
# The Open Constitutionalist, with the Cascade Brigade as an example
# Constitutionalist/Command Structure, with the Alabama Constitutional Militia and the Michigan Militia as examples
# Constitutionalist/Cell Structure, with the [[Militia of Montana]] and the Texas Constitutional Militia as examples
# Underground/ No Public Contact, with the Sons of Liberty (Alabama) as example

Other writers view [[Constitutionalism in the United States|constitutionalism]] as the movement, having a militia wing, rather than a militia movement with a constitutionalist wing.<ref name="STGTF"/>

Throughout American history, there have been other constitutionalist revivals in opposition to various government actions.<ref name="STGTF">Robert H Churchill, ''To Shake Their Guns in the Tyrant's Face: Libertarian Political Violence and the Origins of the Militia Movement'', University of Michigan Press (March 3, 2009) ((ISBN|0-472-11682-7)).</ref> Some writers<ref>Weeber, Stan C. + Rodeheaver, Daniel G. ''Sociological Quarterly''. Spring 2003. "Militias at the Millennium: A test of Smelser's theory of collective behavior." Pages 182–84</ref> have asserted that the modern revival of the constitutional militia movement began as early as 1958 but that, in this early phase, it was associated ideologically with the white supremacist [[Christian Identity]] movement mixed with constitutionalist elements. A fear of Communism was prevalent in the United States during the Twentieth Century, against which was set the modern revival of the constitutional militia movement. These militia revivals believed in the sanctity of the U.S. Constitution, and that certain groups are conspiring to destroy America. Unlike the Christian Identity groups, the Constitutionalist militias generally resist casting blame on ethnic, racial or religious groups, but rather blame influential individuals or groups of individuals (e.g., the [[Bilderberg Group]], the [[Trilateral Commission]]) who promote globalization, collectively known as the [[New World Order (conspiracy theory)|New World Order]].<ref>Weeber, S. C., & Rodeheaver, D. G. (2004). ''Militias in the New Millennium: A Test of Smelser's Theory of Collective Behavior'', pages 11–12. Lanham, Md, University Press of America.</ref> The [[Posse Comitatus (organization)|Posse Comitatus]] is an exception to this principle, however, as it adheres to the antisemitic theory of the ''[[Zionist Occupation Government]]''.<ref name="Perry2001">((cite book|last=Perry|first=Barbara|title=In the Name of Hate: Understanding Hate Crimes|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F8STAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA138|date=March 15, 2001|publisher=Routledge|isbn=978-1-135-95783-4|page=138))</ref>

Conceptually, a citizen's militia has been defined as a constitutionalist private army meeting regularly to practice combat skills and discuss weapons. The militia is defined as social groups practice "skills within a distinct territory, are not always anti-government, and have some opinions regarding use of terrorism to further militia goals." It may have an offensive, paramilitary, and/or defensive orientation depending on circumstances.<ref name="isbn0-7618-2789-7">((cite book |author1=Daniel G. Rodeheaver |author2=Stan Weeber |author3=Weeber, Stanley C. |title=Militias in the New Millennium: A Test of Smelser's Theory of Collective Behavior |publisher=University Press of America |location=Washington, D.C |year=2004 |pages=4–6 |isbn=0-7618-2789-7 |quote=(M)ilitias are social groups that practice skills within a distinct territory, are anti-government in outlook, and have definite opinions regarding use of terrorism to further militia goals. ))<!--|accessdate=2010-04-15--></ref>

Operational features listed in the book ''Militias in the New Millennium'' include the following:<ref>Weeber, Stan C. + Rodeheaver, Daniel G.. "Militias in the New Millennium: A test of Smelser's theory of collective behavior," Page 188</ref>
#Training in combat scenarios and weaponry skills in mock actions and maneuvers
#Has an identifiable territory in which members reside
#Bases organization philosophies on anti-government rhetoric
#Development of contingency plans in case of governmental provocation
#Considers bombing, kidnappings, separatism, "[[paper terrorism]]", or other extreme measures to protect the organic Constitution
#Considers the viability of criminal activity to acquire weapons and explosives

==See also==
*[[Guerrilla warfare]]
*[[Gun politics in the United States]]
*[[Leaderless resistance]]
*[[Minutemen (anti-Communist organization)|Minutemen]]
*[[Private military company]]
*[[List of private military contractors]]
*[[Mercenary]]
*[[Paleolibertarianism]]
*[[Right Wing Death Squad]]

==References==
((Reflist))

==Further reading==

*((cite book |last=Chermak |first=Steven M. |year=2002 |title=Searching for a Demon: The Media Construction of the Militia Movement |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p1NGyz43INkC |publisher=UPNE |isbn=9781555535414 |oclc=260103406 )) 
*((cite book |last=Crothers |first=Lane |year=2003 |title=Rage on the Right: The American Militia Movement from Ruby Ridge to Homeland Security |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PTR7AAAAQBAJ |location=Lanham, Maryland |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=9780742525474 |oclc=50630498 ))

*  Crothers, Lane. "The cultural foundations of the modern militia movement." ''New Political Science'' 24.2 (2002). [https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&profile=ehost&scope=site&authtype=crawler&jrnl=07393148&AN=7066968&h=wzJAykSnEk3%2Bfb%2B%2FTzj%2F5hSO%2FXggBGkTU5pA2rKHdSgdvMp3vIdjVh9CmUMEPOQhsXCFFNKqmlvgbte5yjL3Iw%3D%3D&crl=c online]

* Freilich, Joshua D., Jeremy A. Pienik, and Gregory J. Howard. "Toward comparative studies of the US militia movement." in ''Varieties of Comparative Criminology'' (Brill, 2001). 163-210.

*((cite book |last=Freilich |first=Joshua D. |year=2003 |title=American Militias: State-Level Variations in Militia Activities |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3cXZAAAAMAAJ |publisher=LFB Scholarly |isbn=9781931202534 |oclc=501318483 ))
*((cite book |last=Gallaher |first=Carolyn |year=2003 |title=On the Fault Line: Race, Class, and the American Patriot Movement |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OqDgd4m529gC |location=Lanham, Maryland |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=9780742519749 |oclc=845530800 ))

* Levitas, Daniel. ''The terrorist next door: The militia movement and the radical right'' (Macmillan, 2004). [https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=aS2L9yeTYb4C&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=militia+movement&ots=4SFVjiUFme&sig=g7L18rYNUiIWJ8Dnw6o-08SA-Qo online]

* Mulloy, Darren. ''American extremism: History, politics and the militia movement'' (Routledge, 2004). [http://111.68.99.107/libmax/Administrator/Library/DigitalResources/Digital/Books/American%20Extremism.pdf online]
* Mulloy, Darren. "Conversing with the dead: The militia movement and American history." ''Journal of American Studies'' 38.3 (2004): 439-456. [https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=hist_faculty online]

* Williams, David C. "Militia Movement and Second Amendment Revolution: Conjuring with the People." ''Cornell Law Review'' 81 (1995): 879+ [https://scholarship.law.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2600&context=clr online].
((Authority control))

[[Category:Groups and movements involved with the January 6 United States Capitol attack]]
[[Category:Paleoconservatism]]
[[Category:Political movements in the United States]]
[[Category:Right-wing militia organizations in the United States| ]]
[[Category:Right-wing terrorism]]
[[Category:Terrorism in the United States]]

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