Minutemen

thumb|Lexington Minuteman, a 1900 monument by Henry Hudson Kitson pays tribute to the Minutemen during the [[American Revolutionary War]]

Minutemen were members of the organized New England colonial militia companies trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies during the American Revolutionary War. They were known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name. Minutemen provided a highly mobile, rapidly deployed force that enabled the colonies to respond immediately to military threats. They were an evolution from the prior colonial rapid-response units.