Military Enlistment Quotes
Just a month earlier Washington had issued a contradictory order. See {614221}. The Continental Congress, under pressure from the Southerners, compromised.
The New England and Middle Atlantic States had recruited and allowed Negroes to serve in their divisions with excellent results. These two Southern states were suffering badly as a result of the British Military dominance and atrocities. Almost all whites who were patriots were already under arms. Hence the recommendation. Despite their precarious position, the Southern States would not follow the recommendation. Many were convinced that the Blacks would never make good soldiers, and the those Southerners who disagreed were terrified that once armed, the Blacks would never submit to slavery and would support slave insurrections of the Black slaves who were not in the military.
Responding to a proposed bill that would raise the minimum age of marriage to 18. Underage marriage was then a serious problem in the United States. Many children, even under 12, were forced into marriage by their parents--usually to older men. At the time, 27 states set no true minimum age for marriage, and nine states set age limits below 16.
The issue of how to raise an army plagued the Founding Fathers. The State Militias had very short enlistment periods so that as soon as the soldiers had been trained and were effective, their enlistments would be up. Washington and others wanted a draft or at least long enlistment periods in an American Army. The debate which then began has never ended. How much regular Army as opposed to the Army Reserves—the equivalent of the State Militias, whether or not there should be a draft, whether or not an enlistment period may be extended if there is a military need—none of these are new issues but have been with us since the country was founded. See {591368} for more of Washington’s view of this issue.
