Continental Army Formed: Washington Leads Colonial Forces
The Continental Congress resolved on June 14, 1775, to create a unified colonial military force, establishing what would become the Continental Army. The decision came seven weeks after the battles of Lexington and Concord, when the assembled militia forces around Boston lacked central coordination, supply systems, or unified command. The next day, Congress appointed George Washington as commander-in-chief. Washington was chosen partly for his military experience in the French and Indian War, partly because his Virginia origin would bind the Southern colonies to a war being fought in New England, and partly because he was the only delegate who showed up to Congressional sessions in a military uniform. The army he inherited was an undisciplined collection of short-term militia that he spent the next eight years transforming into a professional fighting force.
June 14, 1775
251 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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