Massachusetts
Act for Regulating the Militia: "Every listed Soldier, and other Householder shall be always provided with a wellfixt Firelock Musket, or Musket of Bastard-Musket bore, the Barrel not less than three foot and an half long, or other good Fire Arms to the satisfaction of the Commission Officers of the Company; a Cartouch Box: one Pound of good Powder: Twenty Bullets for his Gun, and twelve Flynts; a good Sword or Cutlass; a Worm, & priming Wire, fit for his Gun, on Penalty of six shillings..." From the
Boston News-Letter, Feb. 7-14, 1733-4.
Six shillings was a considerable sum in 1733-4. Wheat was 6s a bushel or bread at 22 s per hundred.
Many of us modernly would meet this requirement except we'd show up with a good handgun, a semi-auto rifle or scoped rifle and a survival knife. In fact, I would hazard to guess that many of us could arm a squad and thereby gain our rank of high corporal.
