[Demidog]

But, even then, I believe the Secret Service were armed since their inception.

When was their inception?

[mrsmith]

Civil War era.

[Roscoe]

When was their inception?

"The Secret Service Division began on July 5, 1865 in Washington, D.C., to suppress counterfeit currency. Chief William P. Wood was sworn in by Secretary of the Treasury Hugh McCulloch."

http://www.secretservice.gov/history.shtml