The Right To Bear Arms The Constitution does not mention the word draft or even the older conscription, but it has authorization for the Congress to raise and support Armies, limited to 2 years. By May 10 1775, just weeks after hostilities began in Massachusetts, the Second Continental Congress convened in Philadelphia. On the agenda: creating a common army to defend the colonies. On June 14th, the Congress approved the creation of that army, the Continental Army. The new force was made of those militiamen already gathered outside Boston, some 22,000 of them, plus those in New York, about 5,000. On June 15th, the Congress named Virginian George Washington as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. The Congress also resolved to form a committee to bring in a draft of rules and regulations for the government of the Army, and voted $2 million to support the forces around Boston, and those in New York City. Congress authorized the formation of 10 companies of expert riflemen from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia, which were directed to march to Boston to support the New England militia. These were the first troops Congress agreed to pay from its own funds, and the units later became the 1st Continental Regiment. In March 1861, the Senate considered the seats of most Southern senators to simply be vacant. They viewed their absence this way in order to avoid officially recognizing secession. After the war began and hope of reconciliation faded, ten Senators were expelled on July 11, 1861, for disloyalty to the Union. That number reached fourteen on February 5, 1862, when Jesse Bright of Indiana became the last senator expelled for supporting the Confederacy. April 27th 1861 Lincoln declares martial law and authorized General Winfield Scott, General-in-Chief of the Union army, to suspend the writ of habeas corpus if necessary to control rebellion. President Lincoln defended his controversial action to Congress when it met in a special session on July 4, 1861, and asked Congress to authorize his decision. Congress passed a bill – signed into law on March 3, 1863 – supporting the president and giving him authority to suspend the writ of habeas corpus as necessary for public safety.( Later, Lincoln is murdered before finishing his actions) Now the only thing left is to remove control of the Militias and the right to bear arms from the people....enter Pancho Villa Scenario.. Pancho Villa - famous raid on Columbus, New Mexico, in 1916, . Griffith did not mention then that Walsh would have a double assignment: The picture would be a blend of fiction and documentary. On March 9th, 1916, Francisco “Pancho” Villa crossed the Mexican border with the United States and attacked Columbus, New Mexico. President Woodrow Wilson immediately ordered the U.S. Army to pursue him. Brigadier General John J. Pershing (Black Jack) was selected to lead a punitive expedition into Mexico to capture the revolutionary. The Punitive Expedition not only failed to apprehend Villa but also nearly brought Mexico and the U.S. to blows. Overshadowed by America’s entrance into World War One. historynet/pancho-villas-war-movie.htm The Selective Service Act - 1917 ( military conscription ) The first troops of the American Expeditionary Force (AEF), under commander in chief General John J. Pershing ( Black Jack ), began arriving on the European continent in June 1917. the U.S. gave its allies economic assistance: extending vast amounts of credit to Britain, France and Italy; raising income taxes to generate more revenue for the war effort; and selling so-called liberty bonds to its citizens to finance purchases of products and raw materials by Allied governments in the United States.Today, the draft in the United States is administered by the Selective Service System. Although at the time of this writing the U.S. does not have an active draft, the SSS is in operation and actively campaigns to get young men to register so that should a draft ever be needed, it has ready lists of who is eligible. According to the SSS, registration for the draft is required of all men ages 18 through 25. Forms to register are available at all U.S. Post Offices, as well as online. Failure to register can result in a fine of up to $250,000 and disqualification from many federal programs, such as student aid. This system has been in place since 1980. Note - Black Jack Pershing - A somewhat controversial figure, his tactics have been harshly criticized both by commanders at the time and by modern historians. His reliance on costly frontal assaults, long after other allied armies had abandoned such tactics, has been blamed for causing unnecessarily high American casualties. Pershing is the only person to be promoted in his own lifetime to General of the Armies, the highest authorized rank in the United States Army, signifying service directly under the president.
Posted on: Sun, 14 Sep 2014 18:57:19 +0000
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