the burden of waging war passed to a large extent to the standing army, the continental army. the stay-at-home militia tended then to perform the important role of the internal police to keep order. british forces sought to disrupt american communities by instigating slave rebellions and indian raids. the militia fended off these threats. militias also spied on loyalists in the american communities. in albany county, new york, the militia established a committee for detecting and defeating conspiracies to look out for and investigate people with suspicious allegiances.