The militia act of 1792 called for the conscription or compulsory enlistment of every "free able-bodied white male citizen" between the ages of 18 and 45 into a local militia company". Except that, and this may seem hard to believe, in 1804, out of the 525,000 men enrolled in the militia only 1 in 10 possessed a fire arm. Furthermore, there were glaring discrepancies between the strengths mandated by the Uniform Militia Act and those actually existing. Some states exceeded their strength while others were significantly behind. In Jefferson's final address to Congress, he explained that now there was a need for the federal government step in to arm and equip the state militias. This was a major turning point in the military from state management of the militia to federal management. Since 1792, the president had the authority to call out the militia of several states, but the federal government was not responsible for arming and equipping them. That was up to the states. But Jefferson explained, that due to the difficult times of 1808 with war on the horizon, the nation's attention had to be fixated on the safety of the country. America was a free country, but to remain free, a well-organized and armed militia was it's best security. The country could only be secure if each of the states and territories were secure, and this certainly was not the case. Some states had paid great attention to security, but "every degree of neglect" could be found in other states. Jefferson stated that Congress alone, had the power to build a uniform and consistent defense system, and he tugged on their patriotic strings with the words with his words.
"Considering the extraordinary character of the times in which we live, our attention should unremittingly be fixed on the safety of our country. For a people who are free, and who mean to remain so, a well organized and armed militia is their best security. It is therefore incumbent on us at every meeting to revise the condition of the militia, and to ask ourselves if it is prepared to repel a powerful enemy at every point of our territories exposed to invasion. Some of the States have paid a laudable attention to this object, but every degree of neglect is to be found among others. Congress alone having the power to produce an uniform state of preparation in this great organ of defense, the interests which they so deeply feel in their own and their country's security will present this as among the most important objects of their deliberation."
Congress had already taken the first step, when on March 11th they passed the Militia Act of 1808, and appropriated $200,000 per year "for arming and equipping the whole body of the militia of the United States". This sum was to be divided among the states according to the number of militiamen in each state. Because of the wars in Europe, it was difficult to procure them abroad, so the guns would be manufactured in America. Factories had been enlarged, additional machineries were erected, and skilled craftsmen were hired. Production of American guns had already doubled, and would need to continue increasing to keep up with the annual increase of the militia. The $200,000 appropriated annually was also used to encourage private factories and manufacturers. It was hardly enough to buy arms for each man, but it was important because the act committed the federal government to the principle of providing arms to the citizen soldiers.
"Under the acts of March 11 and April 23 respecting arms, the difficulty of procuring them from abroad during the present situation and dispositions of Europe induced us to direct our whole efforts to the means of internal supply. The public factories have therefore been enlarged, additional machineries erected, and, in proportion as artificers can be found or formed, their effect, already more than doubled, may be increased so as to keep pace with the yearly increase of the militia. The annual sums appropriated by the latter have been directed to the encouragement of private factories of arms, and contracts have been entered into with individual undertakers to nearly the amount of the first year's appropriation"
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29450
http://www.potowmack.org/mahonch5.html
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