how and why did American military traditions and military institutions evolve from the colonial period to the late 1840s

The traditions of the American military, particularly the use of a militia and the citizenry’s fear of a standing army, began well before the first British colonists arrived in the so-called “New World.” As the colonies became more established and continued to expand, these traditions evolved; and they became more engrained as an American military culture when the colonies became a nation that would fight against its motherland. Yet, within 75 years, the fledgling nation of the United States of America had grown up enough that these beliefs and traditions might need some modification. For this assignment, you must create a slideshow presentation that explains how and why these traditions arose, became engrained in “American” culture military culture, and evolved from colonial times until the mid-1800s. In other words, how and why did American military traditions and military institutions evolve from the colonial period to the late 1840s? In this presentation, you must do the following:

• Explain the reasons the colonists used (and needed) a militia and why they had a fear of a standing army.
• Explain the ways the colonial militia was used throughout the colonial period.
• Explain how the wars for empire and the Revolutionary War reinforced the colonists’ belief in the militia and their fear of a standing army.
• Explain how national and domestic security issues created an enlarged debate over the establishment of a strong and centralized army and made some shy away from the militia tradition.
• Explain how the War of 1812 (and the political issues surrounding its origins) continued to challenge the militia tradition and the fear of a standing army (or standing, enlarged military).
• Explain how territorial expansion and the War with Mexico changed the make-up of the American military (especially in relation to the usage of volunteers).
• Conclude with a strong statement (or bullet point list) that illustrates the state of the militia tradition, the tradition of the fear of a standing army, and the problems with these traditions in the period after the War with Mexico.  

Requirements:

• Your slideshow MUST contain AT LEAST 10 slides. 
• Your slideshow MUST address ALL of the points listed above.
• Your slideshow MUST have an over-arching argument (thesis) that you plainly state.
• Your slideshow CANNOT contain word for word information from Dr. Stevens’ lectures or from the textbook. ALL language must be in your own words.

Tips for completing this assignment:

• Think of the assignment as creating a detailed outline of the main question.
• Use keyword headers and sub-headers that illustrate the topics of each slide.
• Condense material on each topic into small bullet point lists of fragments of sentences. Do NOT just use keywords unless they are headers or sub-headers.
• Make sure that as you move through ideas you are making logical transitions to the next issue.
• You may use pictures and maps to illustrate your points or add flare to your presentation; however, if you use only an image on a particular slide, that slide does not count in your minimum slide count of 10.

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