A territorial act passed on August 30, 1805 provided for a territorial militia. Following statehood, Michigan Public Act 57 of 1838 established a state militia. With Public Act 198 of 1893, Michigan officially designated its militia "Michigan National Guard." The militia participated in the War of 1812, the Blackhawk War, the "Toledo War", the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War. In 1916, the U.S. Congress passed the National Defense Act which integrated all state national guards into the U.S. armed forces. Further service included patrol on the Mexican border, World War I, and the American Polar Bear expedition, which aided White Russians in a failed attempt to depose of the new communist government in Russia. The guard has since served in every major military action and also during civil strife, including the 1937 Flint auto workers strike and the 1967 Detroit race riots. The Department of Military Affairs was created in 1965 to administer the state's Army and Air National Guard. In 1997, the department was renamed the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
From the description of Records of the Assistant Adjutant General for the Army National Guard, 1914-1982. (State Archive of Michigan). WorldCat record id: 47966090
