The Origin Of The Second Amendment - Early Sources On America's Armed Civil Population, Part 5

 Josiah Quincy's Thoughts On Free Government And A Well Regulated Militia Spread  Across Revolutionary Era America

Josiah Quincy's May 1774 views on whether a standing army or the armed civil population should be in control of civil society were quoted in Part 4. His view of a well regulated militia was largely copied into a resolve of the Maryland Convention on December 12, 1774. Maryland's definition of who composed a well regulated militia was adopted verbatim later on December 21st by the committee in New Castle County Delaware. Such well regulated militia references became common during the early Revolutionary Era.

George Mason copied Maryland's resolution into a Fairfax County Virginia Committee of Safety resolution on January 17, 1775. Mason's copy is presented here for comparison to Quincy's original ideas quoted in Part 4:

"Resolved, That this Committee do concur in opinion with the Provincial Committee of the Province of Maryland that a well regulated Militia, composed of gentlemen freeholders, and other freemen, is the natural strength and only stable security of a free Government, and that such Militia will relieve our mother country from any expense in our protection and defence, will obviate the pretence of a necessity for taxing us on that account, and render it unnecessary to keep Standing Armies among us - ever dangerous to liberty; and therefore it is recommended to such of the inhabitants of this County as are from sixteen to fifty years of age, to choose a Captain, two lieutenants, and Ensign, four Seageants, four Corporals, and one Drummer, for each Company; that they provide themselves with good Firelocks, and use their utmost endeavours to make themselves masters of the Military Exercise . . ." [Mason Papers, Vol. 1, p. 212]

In fact, many voluntary defensive associations already existed well prior to this period in Virginia. On January 5, 1775 George Washington wrote:

"In this County [Fairfax], Prince William, Loudoun, Faquier, Berkely, & many others round about them, a noble Ardour prevails. Men are forming themselves into independent Companies, chusing their officers, arming, Equipping, & training for the worst Event. The last Appeal!" [Letters of Delegates to Congress, Vol. 1, p. 306]

George Mason began working to establish a voluntary defensive association in Fairfax County in late August of 1774, over four months previous to Washingtons's above observation. While Mason did not originate the widespread American Revolutionary Era well regulated militia definition, he did later condense those longer period definitions into "the body of the people". It was he who later mainstreamed that free government related definition into American bill of rights development as author of  America's earliest constitutional document, the Virginia Declaration of Rights in June 1776.

In Part 6 of this series, Mason's much earlier activity relating to self embodying of the armed civil population will be identified, and the proximate cause of such voluntary defensive activities rapid spread across the American Colonies will be addressed.