Massachusetts National Guard
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'Massachusetts National Guard, The Nation's First.'
The Massachusetts National Guard was founded as the Massachusetts Bay Colonial Militia on 13 December 1636.
The first units of the Massachusetts Militia were organized in Plymouth in 1621, Salem in 1629 and in Boston in 1630. Town militia companies were organized into three permanent militia regiments on 13 December 1636. This date marks the birth of the Massachusetts National Guard and is observed as the birth date of the National Guard of the United States.
The Revolutionary War began on 19 April 1775 when units of the Massachusetts Militia engaged British troops at Lexington, Concord and during the retreat to Boston. The United States Army was born in Cambridge in June 1775 when militia units entered service as regiments of the Continental Army. Massachusetts provided more regiments for the Continental Army than any other state. More...
