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My ancestors were part of the Massachusetts Militia at the time of the revolution . They drilled, practiced maneuvers, had officers and were regulated. They were not part of unruly and ineffective mobs that could be cut to pieces by trained British infantry . A direct ancestor has a statue in his memory and a town named after him.
Yes I believe that the participants of the early constitutional conventions knew of the importance of the state militias and the ability of citizens to maintain arms in support of those militias. Of that I have no doubt. After the Revolutionary War the Continental Army was disbanded and it was not until 1789 that a single regular Army regiment was formed which had responsibility for a vast amount of territory. Well regulated state militias were of utmost importance. The US has always had a mix of standing and militia forces.
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