B. The Militia in State Constitutions and Bills of Rights
Provisions in the various declarations and constitutions of the colonies also reflected the beginnings of a divergence of opinions on the nature and purpose of the militia as an institution. Virginia, which was the first colony to adopt these documents, chose a constitution and bill of rights that was drafted by a committee, and was taken predominantly from the proposals of the conservative George Mason. [90]
The prevailing version recognized, "A well-regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trained to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defence of a free State." [91] It made no mention, however, of an individual right to arms.
The committee charged with the initial drafting of the Virginia documents was composed predominantly of large land owners. The Virginia Constitution, as finally adopted, looked to the maintenance of the status quo and reflected the Classical Republican emphasis on the establishment of a stable republic.
The Militia and the Constitution