The Continental Army was established on June 14, 1775, a founding milestone remembered during America250.
The Second Continental Congress created the army during the American Revolutionary War to coordinate the colonies’ military forces. The action came soon after fighting began at Lexington and Concord in April 1775 and before the Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776.
George Washington was appointed commander in chief on June 15, 1775, the day after the army’s creation. The Continental Army remained the principal land force of the revolutionary cause and served until it was disbanded after the war in 1783.
June 14 is also the birthday of the modern United States Army, which traces its institutional lineage to the Continental Army. That connection made the army’s 250th anniversary in 2025 an important lead-in to the broader United States Semiquincentennial celebrations in 2026.