A Determined Minority: The Three Percenters and How a Historical Myth Inspired an American Insurgency

Of the over 1,500 people charged with crimes committed on January 6^th relating to the Capitol Hill Riots, only a small number have been publicly identified to have explicit ties to the Three Percenters, a militia ideology popular among many in the Patriot Movement. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t there.

“The California Patriots – DC Brigade” was the most notable group of Three Percenters found guilty of crimes committed on that day. This group of six men were convicted of conspiracy and obstruction of an official proceeding. They organized themselves over Telegram, creating a chat to coordinate plans for their trip to Washington on January 6^th, 2021. While one member broke into the Capitol through a smashed window, the others rioted outside, wearing tactical vests and filming themselves as they encouraged others to storm the Capitol.

This gap between official recognition and visual separation is entirely consistent with Three Percenter ideology, which is decentralized and flexible. The Three Percenter brand is rooted in a specific, foundational American myth that goes back to the Revolutionary War. The iconography of January 6^th shows how potent that myth continues to be, while the malleability of the myth has helped the ideology outlive its founder and helps the group continue to grow today.

The Myth of the Armed Minority

Perpetuated by online “Patriot” groups, the Three Percent Myth asserts that only 80,000 Americans served in the American War of Independence. With a population in 1780 of over 2.7 million people, that would indicate that only 3% of the country fought in the war. This figure of 80,000 is misleading and is likely derived from the number of people who were associated with postwar pension files or land warrant applications. It also denotes a misunderstanding of military service in that era (or perhaps any era). Since the war lasted for eight years and most soldiers did not serve for the whole duration, the total number of soldiers is higher than any figure taken at a single point in time. It is estimated that over 230,000 Americans actually served in the Continental Army during the war, though no more than 48,000 at any single moment. This does not include state militia members or mercenaries so the figure could even be higher. Therefore, although the myth states that only 3% fought, it is probable that more than 10% of Americans actually fought in the war, and that is to say nothing of the Americans who supported the effort in other ways.

By adopting this identity, those who believe this myth position themselves as a righteous and determined minority, a group of select true “Patriots.”

Regardless of the accuracy of the myth, the sentiment behind it is very clear. By adopting this identity, those who believe this myth position themselves as a righteous and determined minority, a group of select true “Patriots,” uniquely prepared to defend the country, including against threats posed by a despotic federal government.

The Creation of a Militia Ideology

The Three Percenter ideology was developed by Mike Vanderboegh, a right-wing gun rights activist who was active on the internet throughout the Obama era. He actively posted on gun rights blogs, such as The War On Guns, where he gained a following. Vanderboegh summarized his description of the Three Percenter ideology in a blog post from June 29^th, 2014 titled, “A Brief Three Percent Catechism – A discipline not for the faint-hearted.” In this post he described “The Doctrine of the Three Percent” as:

Essentially, this doctrine is a declaration. Vanderboegh stated that he and other like-minded activists will actively resist what they perceive as government tyranny in the form of violence or the infringement on individual rights. Events like Waco, Ruby Ridge, and Katrina are often cited as inspiration for some individual’s political radicalization.

Symbols for the Three Percenters include the Roman numeral III surrounded by thirteen stars, an American flag with the symbol in its corner (referred to as the Nyberg Flag but directly inspired by Betsy Ross’ flag, again tying them to the history of America’s founding), and even the “okay” hand sign. This gesture is a prime example of the movement’s tactical ambiguity. While often used to denote the number three (for the Three Percent), it has overlapping usage with groups like the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, connecting the Patriot Movement with shared symbolism as well as internet memery.

Absolved: Manual, Myth, and Manifesto

In his posts on his blog, Vanderboegh also serialized his unpublished novel, Absolved (completing it in 2008), which gained so much popularity that he ultimately created his own blog named Sipsey Street Irregulars. Vanderboegh used this space to discuss his novel with likeminded “Patriots,” many of whom were attracted to the ideology he outlined through his prose. He described Absolved as a “self-preventing prophecy” and a “useful dire warning.” Vanderboegh’s novel takes its title from John Locke’s Second Treatise on Government where he writes, “…whenever the legislators endeavor to take away, and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved from any farther obedience…”

In the novel, he tells the story of a militia (the Sipsey Street Irregulars), who engage in an armed conflict with federal authorities after the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) raids their patriarch’s home and he uses a stockpile of weapons to defend himself. Similar to The Turner Diaries the novel that inspired the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995,Vanderboegh describes his book as a manual in disguise. He intended it to act as a blueprint, detailing how a small minority could fight a large government force. Though neither possesses any real literary merit, compared to The Turner Diaries, Absolved is somewhat tame, considering that it focuses more on anti-government resistance on a small-scale, instead of a large, nationwide race war.

Vanderboegh uses the beginning of the book to make his critical stance towards government agencies like the ATF clear. He writes on the dedication page:

Dedicated to

“Waco Jim” Cavanaugh

Special Agent Jody Keeku

and

their thuggish fellow gang members

of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives

James Cavanaugh was an ATF Special Agent who worked during the Waco Siege in 1993 to negotiate an end of the siege with David Koresh’s Lieutenants in the Branch Davidian church. He also testified before Congress in 1995 about the raids.

Jody Keeku was an ATF Agent covered in a 2008 issue of The Gun Owners. She allegedly tampered with an AR-15 that was confiscated from a man in Wisconsin at a gun range after it shot off two three-round bursts. Because of her supposed actions, a military reservist was sent to Federal Prison for 30 months. Within the online gun community, it is typical for stories involving ATF Agents like Cavanaugh and Keeku to be circulated to describe real world and present dangers to the Second Amendment. Vanderboegh was clearly concerned with Second Amendment rights and the federal government’s attempt to restrict them.

His concern reached a clear climax starting in December of 2010 when he wrote a blog post titled, “Border Patrol agent killed with ATF-smuggled AR? Some ATF agents seem to think so.” It’s short but discusses the killing of Border Patrol officer Brian A. Terry, who died in a shootout with smugglers on the southern U.S. border. Vanderboegh reported on comments made on a website titled cleanupatf.org which he alleges were made by ATF Agents and explained that the ATF had moved guns to Mexico and sold them to the cartels. According to the post, one of these was used to kill Terry. This post was the first in a series of reports he made about what is now called the Operation Fast and Furious scandal, which he took credit for exposing. He cited the scandal as confirmation of his book’s central theme: that the federal government was a criminal operation working to subvert the Second Amendment.

Vanderboegh’s blueprint should be taken seriously. It was actually used in 2011 when four elderly men from Georgia, some of whom were veterans, were accused of plotting to murder U.S. officials using explosives and ricin. Court documents explain that they scoped out federal buildings and were eventually arrested when they were found to have trace amounts of ricin in their possession. One of the defendants stated that they were directly inspired by Absolved to commit the attack.

Fourth Generation Warfare and Decentralization

When discussing any potential conflict between the government and its citizens, he wrote, “In an American civil war between an ideas-based Three Percent and a disarmament-bent federal government, who then would lose interest first? You cannot destroy an idea, not even an obviously bad and evil one…” He asserted that any such conflict would inevitably lead to 4GW, with the “Patriots” and those unwilling to give up their guns acting as insurgents. They would support their local communities while fighting directly against the United States government, rebellious until the very end. He said, “This is something that the governments who seek to fight 4GW don’t understand. The 4GW warrior thinks in terms of decades, not months or years. He or she will fight until victory or death.”

The Three Percent ideology is not about winning singular battles, whether they be armed or political, but instead about creating a dispersed, decentralized network, which seeks to intimidate the political elite while also appealing to everyday people.

This type of conflict would create what he referred to as a “determined minority” (whom he argues were the original Three Percent) which would look to shift the opinion of the general public while simultaneously wearing down the will of political leadership. This implies that the Three Percent ideology is not about winning singular battles, whether they be armed or political, but instead about creating a dispersed, decentralized network, which seeks to intimidate the political elite while also appealing to everyday people. Ultimately, this is what is depicted in his novel Absolved.

The aim here is, first and foremost, cultural and ideological warfare; Vanderboegh also envisioned a highly decentralized model of activism, and here he says he took inspiration primarily from the left.

The 4GW model of war, said Vanderboegh, has been used throughout world history including, in part, by America’s Founding Fathers during the War for Independence. He specifically cited Daniel Morgan and his riflemen in the Saratoga campaign when they shot British General Fraser, which he says led to the British collapse in battle. He also pointed to Michael Collins, an Irish revolutionary leader in the early-20^th century in their struggle for independence, as well as communist political leaders Ho Chi Minh and Mao Zedong.

Vanderboegh was not unfamiliar with communist ideology, as he often started speeches at political rallies and other events by quoting figures like Trotsky, Lenin, or Mao. He admitted to identifying as a socialist when he was younger, becoming well-versed in communist and socialist ideology, even actively participating in communist party political organization. Many of these groups were decentralized and continue to be so today. For example, contemporary Antifa supporters argue that the movement is ideological in nature and not organized by a national power structure.

From his far-left position, he slowly morphed into what he described as a “Christian Libertarian,” even joining a right-wing militia in the 1990s, partially in response to things like Waco and Ruby Ridge. In a 2016 Skype interview he did only months before his death, he discussed his time with the militia, stating, “I learned in the 90s that large organizations are full of opportunities for federal snitches, provocateurs, and also simple Empire builders that don’t quite understand what they’re… what they’re building.”

Silence in Court

This web of insurgency makes it difficult for federal agencies to prosecute whole groups of people or track their behavior. This is why there was not much mention of the Three Percenters in the official court proceedings following the January 6^th Capitol Hill Riots. Although they were certainly there and represented in the crowd, they were not one of the main groups discussed concerning that day. This silence in the courtroom is arguably not a sign of the movement’s absence but of its success. By detaching the ideology from a formal membership roll, Vanderboegh ensured that his “determined minority” could congregate and participate in something like January 6^th without explicit detection by the legal system. They were not missing from the courtroom because they failed to show up on January 6^th. They were missing because they never meant to be counted.

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Alexander Lowie is a political anthropologist at the University of Florida’s Hamilton School, whose research focuses on nationalism, political identity, and the use of myth in U.S. paramilitary and illiberal movements. He has conducted long-term ethnographic fieldwork in North Central Florida with groups such as the Three Percenters and the Proud Boys, attending private meetings, trainings, and community events. His book, Becoming A (Civil) Warrior, is set to release in early-2027 and is a narrative ethnography that explores how individuals who describe themselves as politically neutral come to adopt the ethos and language of the Patriot Movement. He is also the host of Dearest Suzie, a podcast and photo series that draws on his grandfather’s letters and photographs from the Vietnam War to explore memory, intimacy, and intergenerational storytelling on the 60th anniversary of the conflict. You can follow him on Substack and X.

Image made using “32.East.USCapitol.WDC.6January2021 (50822154976),” by Elvert Barnes licensed under CC Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic; “2021 storming of the United States Capitol 07,” by Tyler Merbler licensed under CC Attribution 2.0 Generic. All other images used are in the public domain.