Virginia Militia

Virginia Militia
This 1772 portrait shows George Washington in uniform, as colonel of the Virginia Militia. Note, the navy blue regimental coat, worn by the Virginia Militia during the French and Indian War, which would later be adopted by the U.S. Army as the national uniform color.
Active	1607-Present
Countries	Kingdom of Great Britain  United States of America  Confederate States of America
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch	merged into the current Virginia National Guard
Type	colonial militia, state militia, state army national guard, state air national guard
Role	To protect Virginia and the United States, from all enemies, foreign and domestic

The Virginia militia is an armed force composed of all citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia capable of bearing arms. The Virginia militia was established in 1607 as part of the English militia system. Militia service in Virginia was compulsory for all free males. The main purpose of the Crown's militia was to repel invasions and insurrections and to enforce the laws of the colony.

In 1623, the year following the outbreak of the first major Anglo-Powhatan War in Virginia, the Virginia General Assembly commanded, "that men go not to work in the ground without their arms; That no man go or send abroad without a sufficient partie well armed." In 1661 Governor William Berkeley stated, "All our freemen are bound to be trained every month in their particular counties." The British county lieutenant system was employed as the population grew; each county had a lieutenant, appointed as the county's chief militia officer.

The militia system was originally used to defend against Native American tribes in the tidewater area. As the slave population grew in the Virginia Colony, the militia played a role in keeping slaves from running away or from revolting – through the use of militia patrollers. This Virginia militia system was put to the test in 1676 during Bacon's Rebellion. The Crown's militia was victorious over Nathaniel Bacon who tried to seize power.

The English Bill of Rights of 1689 guaranteed colonial Virginians, as loyal British subjects, the following: