Congress established the Continental Army on June 14, 1775.
The Second Continental Congress created the army after fighting had begun at Lexington and Concord. Its purpose was to coordinate military efforts among the colonies and provide a common force against the British Army. Existing patriot troops around Boston and New York were incorporated into the new Continental organization.
June 14 is now observed as the birthday of the United States Army. That anniversary falls exactly 250 years after the army’s creation in 2025, making it an important military milestone connected with the wider America250 period.
The army was not the only armed force on the patriot side. Local militias, state troops, privateers, and foreign allies all contributed to the war effort. The Continental Army nevertheless supplied the central military structure that George Washington commanded until the peace settlement in 1783.