Colonial People The Colonial Minuteman Laura l Sullivan cavendish Square New York
ONE The Minutemen and Militias The minutemen of Colonial America before and during the Revolutionary War were part of a long tradition of militia stretching back to the mother country of England A militia is a military force made up not of professional soldiers but rather ordinary citizens Most of the time they would live like regular civilians Occasionally they would train for battle In times of need these men could be mustered or called up to fight In the Anglo-Saxon common law system in England as far back as the fifth century ce two traditions allowed for common citizens without any particular military training to be called for service One called the posse comitatus Latin for power of the community was organized by a sheriff or other law enforcement official to hunt The minuteman known for his ability to be ready for a fight at a minute’s notice became a symbol of American liberty 5
