Standing Army Concerns

Historical Roots

English Civil Wars and Glorious Revolution

The fear of standing armies originated in 17th-century England:

• Cromwell's New Model Army (1645-1660): Professional army imposed military dictatorship
• James II's Army (1685-1688): Catholic army threatened Protestant liberties
• English Bill of Rights (1689): Declared "raising or keeping a standing army within the kingdom in time of peace, unless it be with consent of Parliament, is against law"

Classical Republican Theory

Enlightenment thinkers warned against standing armies:

"A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty. The means of defense against foreign danger have been always the instruments of tyranny at home."

— James Madison, Constitutional Convention (June 29, 1787)

Key Philosophical Influences

Colonial Experience

Pre-Revolutionary Grievances

British military presence created colonial resentment:

• 1765-1775: British troops stationed in peacetime
• Quartering Acts: Forced colonists to house soldiers
• Boston Massacre (1770): Soldiers killed civilians
• Military governance: Martial law in Boston (1774)

Declaration of Independence

Multiple grievances about standing armies:

"He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power."

— Declaration of Independence (1776)

State Constitutions

Early state constitutions reflected these concerns:

Founding-Era Debates

Constitutional Convention

Intense debate over military provisions:

Ratification Debates

Standing armies dominated state conventions:

"What, sir, is the use of a militia? It is to prevent the establishment of a standing army, the bane of liberty... Whenever governments mean to invade the rights and liberties of the people, they always attempt to destroy the militia."

— Elbridge Gerry, House of Representatives (August 17, 1789)

The Federalist Papers

Hamilton and Madison addressed concerns:

• Federalist No. 8: Hamilton warned of militarized states
• Federalist No. 23-29: Hamilton defended limited standing forces
• Federalist No. 41: Madison justified military powers
• Federalist No. 46: Madison's calculation of militia vs. army

Constitutional Provisions

Limitations on Standing Armies

The Constitution includes multiple safeguards:

The Two-Year Limit

Most significant restriction:

"The Congress shall have Power... To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years" — U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 8, Clause 12

Note: No similar restriction on naval forces, reflecting different concerns about armies vs. navies.

The Militia Alternative

Militia as Safeguard

The Founders saw citizen-soldiers as the antidote to standing armies:

• Citizen Soldiers: Return to civilian life after service
• Local Control: Organized by states, not federal government
• Democratic: Officers chosen from community
• Defensive: Protect homes, not conquer others

Militia vs. Standing Army

The Swiss Model

Founders often cited Switzerland as ideal:

• No standing army but universal militia
• Every citizen armed and trained
• Successfully defended independence
• Republican government preserved

Second Amendment Connection

Direct Relationship

The Second Amendment addresses standing army concerns:

1. Prefatory Clause: Emphasizes militia as necessary
2. Armed Citizenry: Creates potential resistance force
3. Power Balance: Prevents government monopoly on force
4. Last Resort: Ultimate check on tyranny

Contemporary Explanations

"[I]f circumstances should at any time oblige the government to form an army of any magnitude that army can never be formidable to the liberties of the people while there is a large body of citizens, little if at all inferior to them in discipline and the use of arms, who stand ready to defend their own rights and those of their fellow-citizens."

— Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 29 (1788)

Anti-Federalist Demands

Second Amendment responded to concerns:

• Federal government might disarm state militias
• Standing army could oppress unarmed population
• Need explicit protection for arms bearing
• Militia mentioned to show purpose

Historical Evolution

Early Republic (1789-1860)

Initial adherence to Founders' vision:

• Tiny peacetime army: Usually under 10,000 troops
• Reliance on militia: War of 1812, Indian conflicts
• Expansion only for war: Mexican War temporary increase
• Persistent suspicion: Democrats especially opposed

Civil War Transformation

Fundamental shift in American military:

• Massive armies: Over 2 million served
• Draft instituted: First conscription
• Permanent increase: Larger postwar force
• Reconstruction: Military occupation of South

20th Century Expansion

Modern Reality

Complete reversal of Founding vision:

• World's largest military budget
• Global military presence
• Professional warrior class
• Minimal militia role

Modern Relevance

Eisenhower's Warning

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist."

— President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Farewell Address (1961)

Contemporary Debates

Founding concerns echo in modern issues:

• Military spending: Defense budget debates
• Forever wars: Extended foreign conflicts
• Civil-military relations: Civilian control questions
• Militarized policing: Military equipment for police
• Gun rights: Armed citizenry as check

Second Amendment Arguments

Standing army history influences modern debates:

Scholarly Perspectives

Historians debate relevance:

"The Founders' fear of standing armies was not an idiosyncratic obsession but a central element of eighteenth-century political thought that shaped both the Constitution's structure and the Bill of Rights."

— David E. Vandercoy, "The History of the Second Amendment" (1994)

Lessons for Today

Founding concerns remain instructive:

• Danger of unchecked military power
• Importance of civilian control
• Value of constitutional limits
• Role of armed citizenry debated
• Balance between security and liberty