George Washington resigned his Continental Army commission in Annapolis in 1783.
Washington formally resigned as commander-in-chief on December 23, 1783, before the Congress of the Confederation at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. The ceremony took place after the Treaty of Paris had ended the Revolutionary War and British forces had evacuated New York City.
Washington’s decision was widely admired because he voluntarily surrendered military authority instead of using his army to seek political power. His resignation echoed the Roman example of Cincinnatus, a citizen who returned to private life after serving the republic. Washington’s action strengthened the idea that the military should remain subordinate to civilian government.
The episode is distinct from Washington’s later retirement from the presidency. He served as president of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 and became the first president of the United States in 1789. The Annapolis ceremony remains one of the most important symbolic moments of the founding era.