HIST 156- Scholary Article Review 1
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156
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History
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Jan 9, 2024
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Elijah Johnson
HIST 156
Scholarly Article Review 1
White, William E. “The Independent Companies of Virginia, 1774-1775.” The Virginia
Magazine of History and Biography 86, no. 2 (1978): 149–62. Date Accessed: 23 October 2023.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/4248201.
The journal article begins by bringing up that the independent companies of Virginia are
often believed to be part of the main military forces of Virginia but disbanded by the Convention
itself.
After a thorough read of this well written journal, there was a lot of information gained
that was unknown. The Virginia Convention had met and deemed it necessary to form military
forces by use of militias in counties to prepare for the threat of the British. Many counties started
gathering men and supplies and it was agreed that these forces would take no action unless
ordered by the local committees. These forces were well respected and formed by gentlemen
who would even receive donations to help better prepare them. “Gifts were presented to the
independent companies as a token of one's patriotism. In February 1775 Mr. Carr of Prince
William County presented the local independent company of his county with a stand of colors,
two drums, and two fifes.” (White 1978) While these companies proved useful for simpler tasks
set by the committees like apprehensions, they were soon realized to have no value. The British
were made aware of the gatherings and led by Lieutenant Collins from the H.M.S.
Magdalen
went into Williamsburg and took their gunpowder with no opposition. It is later determined after
a gathering of all the militias to try and create a fighting force that these men were not up to the
cause. With all the independent companies together, havoc breaks out with no real leadership or
order taking place. The Virginia Convention deems it better to disband these militias and create
an organized state corp.
The importance of this article lets the reader know that while needed,
the militias were unable to stand up to the British forces, as well as failed to unite as one.
Elijah Johnson
HIST 156
Scholarly Article Review 1
I find the importance of this article for my paper to be contradictory as there are minor
and significant points that help my topic. This article allows me to demonstrate that it was
determined by the Virginia Convention that the need of militias was present with the growing
threat of the British. The militias were able to provide support to the counties they protected after
gathering men and supplies. These militias, while separate were able to organize and drill and be
of use to the people. “Preparing themselves, purchasing equipment, and basking in the elite
notions of being the gentlemen and yeomen defenders of their God-given rights as freemen. They
gathered at musters to train and to consider matters relating to the company.” (White 1978) Even
at the end when it was deemed that they had to be replaced by an actual army shows that they
were the steppingstone to the creation of Virginian regiments that served the Continental Army.
The militias were detrimental to the U.S. victory in the Revolutionary War.
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