Continental Congress Adopts Articles of War
The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of War on June 30, 1775, establishing the first unified military legal code for the Continental Army. The articles were closely modeled on the British Articles of War, reflecting the colonists' military traditions even as they fought to separate from Britain. The code covered discipline, desertion, mutiny, treatment of prisoners, and the authority of courts-martial. George Washington, who had been appointed commander-in-chief just two weeks earlier, desperately needed these regulations to impose order on the undisciplined militia forces assembling around Boston. The articles were revised in 1776 and again in 1806. They remained the foundation of American military justice until replaced by the Uniform Code of Military Justice in 1951.
June 30, 1775
251 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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