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HISTORY

State Armies

The Constitution forbids the states from maintaining armies during peacetime, but doesn't clearly define what the states can do during wartime. Western and southern states were particularly disappointed with the federal government's inability to manage the national army. With the poor performance of militias, many of these states where on the road to building they own regular forces at the state level. Many legislatures even got to the point of discussing the matter and suggesting they withhold tax funds destined to the federal government to pay for their own state armies.