militia movements
Civilian armed groups
Militia movements are organized groups of armed civilians who train together, typically motivated by distrust of federal government, belief in constitutional originalism, or preparation for perceived threats to liberty.
Most prominent in the United States, they invoke Second Amendment rights and sometimes Revolutionary War imagery.
The militia movement grew after Ruby Ridge and Waco.
Members range from weekend survivalists to those with antigovernment or white nationalist ideologies.
- militancyCombative advocacy stance
- MinutemenColonial instant-ready militia
- citizen soldierCivilian who serves militarily
- Whiskey RebellionEarly American tax revolt
- Ruby RidgeInfamous federal siege incident
constitutionalism · colonial militias · armed resistance · survivalism · nationalism · training camps · sovereign · federal overreach · American Revolution · Waco siege · separatism · guerrilla tactics · xenophobia · libertarianism · rifles · recruitment · sedition charges · anti-globalism
- far rightfascism, neo-Nazism, neofascism, white supremacy, Nazism
militia movementsregular army
Nation's permanent military force
standing army · national guard · federal troops · defense forces · police forces
militia movementspacifist movements
Organized opposition to armed conflict
peace movements · civil disobedience · civil rights movement · nonviolent resistance · civic engagement
militia movementsprofessional associations
Groups organized by occupation
government agencies · nonprofit organizations · community groups · religious congregations