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Minutemen service was more regularized and formal than service in the volunteer companies. But the new rules, strict hierarchies, class-based officer appointments, and ranked-based pay scales of the Virginia minutemen did not attract small farmers who had become accustomed to relaxed discipline and the popular election of officers. By the fall of 1775 the minutemen service's unpopularity was widespread and well known, revealing a division in Virginia society between 'those dictating the terms upon which the colony would fight and those expected to bear the brunt of those terms.' Because of the failure of the minutemen, Virginia was forced to abandon the concept of the citizen-soldier and to depend on traditional paid full-time soldiers.<ref> Michael A. McDonnell, "Popular Mobilization and Political Culture in Revolutionary Virginia: The Failure of the Minutemen and the Revolution from Below" ''Journal of American History'' 1998 85(3): 946-981 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2567217 in JSTOR]</ref>
Minutemen service was more regularized and formal than service in the volunteer companies. But the new rules, strict hierarchies, class-based officer appointments, and ranked-based pay scales of the Virginia minutemen did not attract small farmers who had become accustomed to relaxed discipline and the popular election of officers. By the fall of 1775 the minutemen service's unpopularity was widespread and well known, revealing a division in Virginia society between 'those dictating the terms upon which the colony would fight and those expected to bear the brunt of those terms.' Because of the failure of the minutemen, Virginia was forced to abandon the concept of the citizen-soldier and to depend on traditional paid full-time soldiers.<ref> Michael A. McDonnell, "Popular Mobilization and Political Culture in Revolutionary Virginia: The Failure of the Minutemen and the Revolution from Below" ''Journal of American History'' 1998 85(3): 946-981 [http://www.jstor.org/stable/2567217 in JSTOR]</ref>
==Image and memory==
==Image and memory==
The Minute Men became iconic heroes of patriotism and civic duty in terms of American [[Republicanism]].
The Minute Men became iconic heroes of patriotism and civic duty in terms of American [[Republicanism]]. In 1860-61 Minutemen companies organized hurriedly in amny states as the Civ=il War loomed.
Early accounts celebrated American heroism against British barbarism and saw the dawning of democracy in the egalitarian army of minutemen commoners.<ref> John McWilliams, "Lexington, Concord, and the 'Hinge Of The Future'" ''American Literary History'' 1993 5(1): 1-29 [http://alh.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/citation/5/1/1 online]</ref>
Early accounts celebrated American heroism against British barbarism and saw the dawning of democracy in the egalitarian army of minutemen commoners.<ref> John McWilliams, "Lexington, Concord, and the 'Hinge Of The Future'" ''American Literary History'' 1993 5(1): 1-29 [http://alh.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/citation/5/1/1 online]</ref>
During World War I, the '''Four Minute Men'' program helped mobilize public opinion; it was a division of the Federal Committee on Public Information in June 1917. The Four Minute Men were local volunteers who spoke at public gatherings, fairs, vaudevilles and motion picture houses for four minutes. Speakers received material from which to prepare speeches. Speeches combated adverse publicity and German propaganda, supported fund drives, called for support of the Red Cross and the YMCA, and promoted Liberty Loans, food conservation, and victory gardens. The program ended a few weeks after the war ended in 1918. enrolled 75 thousand men in its program. In 18 months they gave 1,555,000 speeches to 134,000,000 people at a cost to the government of only $140,000.<ref>Jeanne Graham, "The Four Minute Men: Volunteers for Propaganda." ''Southern Speech Journal'' 1966 32(1): 49-57; Carol Oukrop, "The Four Minute Men Became National Network during World War I" ''Journalism Quarterly'' 1975 52(4): 632-637 </ref>
==Further reading==
==Further reading==
* Fischer, David Hackett. ''Paul Revere's Ride'' (1994), outstanding history [http://www.questia.com/read/99202360?title=Paul%20Revere%27s%20Ride online edition]
* Fischer, David Hackett. ''Paul Revere's Ride'' (1994), outstanding history [http://www.questia.com/read/99202360?title=Paul%20Revere%27s%20Ride online edition]
* Gross, Robert A. ''The Minutemen and their World'' (1976)
* Gross, Robert A. ''The Minutemen and their World'' (1976), mostly about the social history of the town of Concord
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====references====
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[[Category:American Revolution]]
[[Category:American Revolution]]
[[Category:Republicanism]]
[[Category:Republicanism]]