George Washington was appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army in 1775.
The Second Continental Congress created the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, during the early crisis of the American Revolutionary War. John Adams nominated Washington, a Virginia planter and veteran of the French and Indian War, partly because his military experience and Virginia background could help unite the colonies.
Congress unanimously selected Washington the following day. He accepted the post without setting a salary, although Congress later reimbursed his expenses. Washington took command of a force that was still being organized and supplied.
He led the Continental Army through the war, including the campaigns that culminated in the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781. Washington resigned his commission in December 1783, an act often cited as an important example of civilian authority over the military.