Origins, orientations and etiologies of the U.S. citizen militia movement, 1982-1997

Abstract

This paper is a review of what we know about the origins, orientations and etiologies of U.S. citizen militias that formed between 1982 and 1997. Two phases in the evolution of this movement emerge: Phase One (1982-1991) marks the rise and fall of Christian Patriot militias; Phase Two (1992-1997) is characterized by the appearance of Constitutionalist entities. Precursors to Phase One drew heavily upon the classic republican tradition of an unorganized, armed populace. Philosophically these precursors branched out toward both Christian Identity and Constitutionalism. Phase One groups were influenced by the Identity tract The Turner Diaries and by the survivalist Nehemiah Township Charter and Common Law Contract. Phase Two built upon the Constitutionalism of the precursors and was propelled by Pat Robertson's book, a speech by George Bush, and BATF raids at Ruby Ridge and Waco. At its extreme, militia ideology expresses a paranoid view of how the New World Order is preparing for collectivist control. Sociological explanations of militias emphasize the recruitment to activism, how enemies are socially constructed, the paramilitary culture of the postwar U.S., and the role of structural strain. The paper concludes with an exploration of the concepts of hate crime and domestic terrorism as each relates to the U.S. militia phenomenon.