HLSC 510 History of Homeland Security Research Paper.pdf

HISTORY OF HOMELAND SECURITY 1

History of Homeland Security

Liberty University

HISTORY OF HOMELAND SECURITY 2

Abstract

The Department of Homeland Security was founded as a result of the attacks on 9/11, but the

concept of homeland security and emergency preparedness has been in American history since

the founding of the country. With concerns of federal funding and a balance of civilian

responsibility and military support, the government has found difficulties in appropriately

implementing policy to benefit all aspects. Even since the integration of homeland security with

emergency preparedness, the DHS has evolved since its founding only 20 years ago.

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Homeland Security in America

The concept of homeland security has been integrated into the foundation and policies of

American history to protect and prepare for emergency disasters. From the founding of the

United States through the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the government has

focused on civil defense and preparedness. Since the foundation of civil defense, policy makers

have worked to balance funding and support from the federal government to integrate emergency

preparedness for both natural disasters and domestic attacks.

Benjamin Franklin also played important roles in creating the Declaration of Independence

which led to the end of the war (“US Military History”, 2021, para.2). The Militia Acts of 1792

were later enacted which created a formal militia, able to be called out by the president for future

wars or conflicts (“Militia Act establishes conscription under federal law”, 2021).

As a result of trade issues, impressment of sailors, and British support on frontier

attacks, the War of 1812 was fought from 1812 to 1815. After years of battles and funding

running low, the James Madison Administration began looking to declare peace and addressing

the issues that brought forth the war. On December 24th, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent was signed

to end the war (Hickman, 2020).

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The Militia Act of 1903, also known as the Dick Act, was established and granted federal

funding to allow for training and equipment (Vladeck, 2004). On August 29, 1916, Congress

created the Council of National Defense to coordinate industries and resources for national

security and welfare. After years of attempts to remain neutral in the world’s conflicts, the

Woodrow Wilson administration recognized the threat to the United States and in mid-1917,

entered World War I. By late 1918, state governors had created 182,000 councils of defense

(Harris, 1975, p.1). Between 1914 and 1920, the National Security League and the American

Defense in 1941 (Back & Hopkins et al., 2003). Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady and assistant

director of the Office of Civilian Defense, adopted a vision of government-led and citizen-

powered movement. During wartime the First Lady argued, “every place in this country must be

a better place in which to live, and, therefore more worth defending” (Dallek, 2016, para.8).

Post World War II

Following the conclusion of World War II, the Harry Truman administration abolished the

Office of Civilian Defense due to the belief the immediate threat of war had ceased. In 1947, the

Bull Report was released and stated that civil defense was the responsibility of the people and not

the military. Despite this, it still reaffirmed the Federal government could provide resources. In

1947 Congress passed the National Security Act, which included the Central Intelligence Agency

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and National Security Resources Board, to mobilize civilian and military support and maintain

resources in preparation for war (Homeland Security National Preparedness Task Force, 2006,

p.6).

Due to increasing concern of straining Soviet relations, President Truman began

implementing civil defense planning in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Truman then

established the Office of Civil Defense Planning as a permanent civil defense agency in the

federal government. This allowed for federal guidance and assistance, but allowed the state and

the Office of Civil Defense into Office of Emergency Planning and Office of Civil Defense.

President Kennedy took the opportunity to publicize and distribute preparedness booklets and

literature in order to spread awareness on the need to prepare, which created controversy. The

longstanding focus of emergency preparedness had been focused at the state and local level, but

the federal government was no longer focusing on the management and funding side of

preparedness (Homeland Security National Preparedness Task Force, 2006, p.12-13).

Between 1963 and 1969, the Johnson administration cut funding to the US’s civil defense

program, but faced various national disasters and the Vietnam War. When President Nixon

assumed office in 1969, the administration redefined the civil defense policies to restore the level

of preparedness that had deteriorated. The National Security Decision Memorandum established

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a “dual-use approach” of preparedness programs for evacuation, communications, and survival

for various types of national emergencies (Homeland Security National Preparedness Task Force,

2006, p.14-15).

In the midst of the Reagan administration, FEMA continued to push for peacetime

disaster preparation through the use of “an Integrated Emergency Management system to

develop full all-hazard preparedness plans at the Federal level” (Homeland Security National

Preparedness Task Force, 2006, p.20). Concluding the Reagan and through the Bush

Creation of the Department of Homeland Security

In the aftermath of September 11th, 2001, the federal government recognized the need to

reassess and improve homeland security. Within a month of the attacks, the Office of Homeland

Security was established “to develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive

national strategy to secure the United States from terrorist threats or attacks” (Homeland Security

National Preparedness Task Force, 2006, p.25) by integrating 22 different federal departments

into a more effective and integrated Department (Department of Homeland Security, 2015,

para.1). In 2002, the President established the USA Freedom Corps, Citizen Corps, and the

Homeland Security Advisory System. All were aimed to educate, train, communicate, and

prepare for homeland attacks.

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The Department of Homeland Security focused on its priority issues of transportation,

border, and port security while focusing on the threat of domestic terrorism. A new National

Response Plan was developed to provide a common framework for incident management.

Despite its push for protection and preparedness against dometic terrorism, natural disasters still

re-emphasized the vulnerability of the state (Homeland Security National Preparedness Task

Force, 2006, p.29). In December of 2003, President Bush issued HSPD-8 which gave the

secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to establish national preparedness and

Technology, Management, Office of Policy, Office of Health Affairs, Office of Intelligence and

Analysis, Office of Operations Coordination and Planning, Federal Law Enforcement Training

Center, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, TSA, CBP, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration

Services (USCIS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Coast Guard,

FEMA, and USSS” (Zappile, 2014, p.2).

The leadership among the DHS drove various organizational changes. Despite its

original goals to focus on terrorism, by 2013 the DHS mandate included the following core

missions: “prevent terrorism and enhancing security, secure and manage our borders, enforce and

administer our immigration laws, safeguard and secure cyberspace, and ensure resilience to

disasters” (Zappile, 2014, p.3). Among the federal responsibilities, DHS is designed to

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coordinate counterterrorism intelligence efforts among other federal agencies and distribute

information. The U.S. Intelligence Community aimed to provide a connection between each

level of government and also the private sector (Zappile, 2014, p.4.)

As a way to mitigate further terrorist concers, the Transportation Security Administration

(TSA) was created on Novemeber 19th, 2001 by the Aviation and Transportation Act of 2001 and

later transferred to the DHS. Additionally, DHS agencies for border security, customs, and

immigration were implemented into the organizational structure (Zappile, 2014, p.7).

watch and to sound a warning signal when the enemy is seen coming.”” As a warning system,

the DHS has implemented a numerical and color-coded threat alert system ranging from green,

blue, yellow, orange, and red and low to severe risk of terrorist attacks. Above all in homeland

security, we must remember to prepare, trust and follow Him. In Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the

LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways

acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”

References

Back, A., Hopkins, J., et al. (2003). Teaching Eleanor Roosevelt.

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https://nps.gov/elro/glossary/office-civilian-defense.htm

Berg, M., & Jansen, A. (2018). Americans in world war i- world war i in america. The Journal of

the Gilded Age and Progressive Era,17(4), pp.599-601.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-gilded-age-and-progressive-

era/article/americans-in-world-war-i-world-war-i-in-

america/EC1F5742A80B76A3EF71830A0BBC8A0D

Dallek, M. (2016, September 7). The new deal origins of homeland security. Smithsonian

https://irp.fas.org/agency/dhs/fema/cd-chron.pdf

Hickman, K. (2020, October 2). Overview of the War of 1812.

https://www.thoughtco.com/war-of-1812-an-overview-2361373

Homeland Security National Preparedness Task Force. (2006, September). Civil defense and

homeland security: A short history of national preparedness efforts. Department of

Homeland Security. https://training.fema.gov/hiedu/docs/dhs%20civil%20defense-hs

%20-%20short%20history.pdf

“Militia Act establishes conscription under federal law.” (2021, May 5). History.com.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/militia-act-establishes-conscription-under-

federal-law