Gun Control Isn't Popular With Most Americans

[Boreas]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

Select militia if you insist....

Main point is the general militia never stood up as envisioned.

In the South they were basically used as slave patrols. It's why many of the Southern delegates to the Constitutional Convention demanded them. They were terrified by the prospect of a slave revolt, especially since the slave population rivaled that of the white population and in some states exceeded it.

Until the War of 1812, where there was extensive use of the various state militias, the only time they were ever used in a military capacity was the Whiskey Rebellion. In the earlier Shays' Rebellion, before the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, militias were used but they were raised for the purpose by private individuals.

So, I think we have a couple of instances where they operated as intended, once to put down a tax revolt and once to repel and invading army.