Boys State was originally developed in 1935. This point in history saw a rise of the Fascist Party and other threats to democracy. The American Legion, all veterans of foreign wars who had fought to preserve our American democracy, recognized that these threats were best answered by educating future leaders on the value of the American governmental system. In the decades that followed, various threats to democracy came and went – the rise of Communism, for instance, and McCarthyism that followed. Regardless of the historical setting, over the past 70 years, Boys State has thrived, and continues to teach young men the responsibility of citizenship.

The goal of Boys State is to teach government and principles of democracy from a unique perspective. From the moment each Boys State citizen arrives on campus, he learns to appreciate that, in our American system of democracy, the character and success of government relies on the interest and participation of the citizen. Structurally, the government of Boys State will mirror that of our own state government. On a more fundamental level, Boys State citizens learn to appreciate that, however voluntary participation in a democratic system may be, its success depends on many integrated components, and it all begins with the citizen.