We’re coming off the 250th anniversary of the start of the US Army. Various events marked the occasion.
2025 being 2025, much, if not most, if not all, of it quickly sank into the love/hate clashes that surround POTUS 47.
I think it’s a good use of my time to go back to the minutes, hours, and days of the launch of what we now call the US Army. I’m using research I’ve done for Americanism Redux nearby (see the Entry for June 15 and Episode 32 of my Podcast).
Six points for you to know. Again, forget today’s politics. You can get that in a thousand other places but you’ll only get these six points here with me.
Here we go—back to mid-June 1775.
1st, The Army’s launch is a hybrid of birth and adoption. The Second Continental Congress, meeting in the Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania State House, votes to create a handful of new military units organized around usage of rifled guns. That was a new thing. At the same time, the delegates agree to take charge and control of the thousands of armed men massed in a semi-circle around Redcoat-held Boston. Key point here: hybrid, the birth/adoption.
2nd, The Union is the parents. A formal Union of thirteen British colonies has existed since the fall of 1774 (ten months ago as of June 1775). This Union has an organizational face by this point—the Continental Congress and the collection of delegates who comprise it. Thus, the Union is now in control of a new Army, the purposely named Continental Army. Key point here: Union first, Nation second.
3rd, The Union and the Army are built from the ground up. That mass of thousands of armed men outside Boston? They’re a mixture of units from towns, villages, counties, and a half-dozen other things from a half-dozen northern colonies. They’re as ground-level as you can get. Key point here: the Army is organically local.
4th, The first set of military actions are defensive. They’re defending things and they’ll tell you that straight-up. They’re defending rights, liberties, privileges, and freedom. Hundreds of statements to this effect have been written over the prior twelve months, starting even in late 1773. They’re defending. Attacks, attackers, and attacking will come soon. Key point here: as they say in the NFL, defense wins championships.
5th, The Second Continental Congress’s decision to take on the Continental Army is a huge risk. Yes, there’s the obvious risk in that ultimate victory is not guaranteed; they can lose the struggle. More than that, though, the delegates in Philadelphia to a person know about what they call the “dangers of a standing army.” They’ve read books, articles, essays, poems, trial transcripts and more about the history of armies and generals seizing freedom from the people and the public. So, in setting up the Continental Army, they’re running the risk of setting up the next means of their own destruction, a Standing Army. Key point here: there’s no easy answer—the delegates and the people they represent must stay vigilant.
6th, The only way, from the perspective of the delegates and every person who is steeped in the important political literature of the era, the absolutely only way to prevent the Standing Army from seizing power is to maintain strict and constant civilian control of the government, the armed forces, and armed power. Sure, the military folks can make war and war-fighting decisions. But the ultimate CEO, board of directors, shareholders, and customer base of the enterprise is civilian-oriented. Key point here: civilians have final authority in self-government.
That does it. Six points to mark the 250th commemoration of the beginning of the US Army.
Have a great week.
