Congress unanimously elected George Washington commander-in-chief of the Continental Army on June 15, 1775.
The Second Continental Congress created the Continental Army the day before, on June 14, to coordinate Patriot forces already fighting around Boston and elsewhere. John Adams nominated Washington, a Virginia planter and experienced military officer, partly because selecting a southerner could help unite the colonies behind the army.
Washington accepted the appointment without requesting a salary, though Congress later reimbursed his expenses. He formally took command near Boston on July 3, 1775, during the Siege of Boston. He remained the army’s commander-in-chief through the Revolutionary War and resigned his commission in December 1783.
The dates are easy to mix up. June 14 marks the creation of the Continental Army, while June 15 marks Washington’s election. July 3 marks his assumption of command in the field. April 19, 1775, marks the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first major armed clashes of the war.