Citizen and Soldier: A Sourcebook on Military Service and National Defense from Colonial America to the Present, (Paperback)

The military forces of the United States have been engaged in combat and hostile encounters in all but two decades since 1776. Americans expect that in a time of need their country can depend on its people for volunteer service to the military. The military aspect of citizenship has become an increasingly marginalized one in a world where only a minority of citizens even vote.

Citizen and Soldier: A Sourcebook on Military Service and National Defense from Colonial America to the Present provides a useful framework and supporting documentary evidence for an informed discussion of the development of the American ideal of the "Citizen-Soldier." Presented with insightful introductions and useful discussion questions, this concise collection of 36 primary documents takes a close look at the United States military and shows how it became entwined with the rise of American national identity.