What rank was George Washington posthumously given effective July 4, 1976, during the United States Bicentennial?

George Washington was posthumously given the rank of General of the Armies effective July 4, 1976.

Congress approved the appointment through Public Law 94-479, signed in 1976. The measure recognized Washington’s command of the Continental Army and ensured that no U.S. Army officer would rank above him in American military history.

“General of the Armies” is distinct from the later five-star rank “General of the Army.” Washington’s appointment was personal and posthumous, while the five-star rank was created during World War II for senior active-duty commanders.

The effective date was chosen to coincide with the Bicentennial’s 200th anniversary of independence. The appointment therefore connected Washington’s Revolutionary leadership directly to the national commemoration.