The Second Continental Congress created the Continental Army on June 14, 1775.
Congress established the army in Philadelphia to coordinate the military defense of the colonies during the growing conflict with Great Britain. The Battles of Lexington and Concord had taken place nearly two months earlier, on April 19, 1775, and colonial forces were already surrounding Boston.
George Washington was appointed commander-in-chief shortly afterward. The Continental Army was a national force, but it depended heavily on state troops, militia, local supplies, and enlistments. Its soldiers came from across the colonies and, after independence, the states.
The army continued through the Revolutionary War and was formally disbanded on June 2, 1784. June 14 is now observed in the United States as the birthday of the U.S. Army, linking the modern service to the force created during the founding era commemorated by America250.