George Washington resigned his military commission at Annapolis in December 1783.
Washington formally resigned as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army before the Confederation Congress at the Maryland State House in Annapolis. The ceremony took place on December 23, 1783, after the Treaty of Paris negotiations had brought the Revolutionary War to a formal close.
His decision was historically significant because it demonstrated civilian control over the military. Washington returned authority to Congress rather than using his wartime position to seek political power, an act later admired in the United States and abroad.
The event is sometimes confused with Washington's later resignation as president after two terms. His military resignation occurred in 1783; he became the first U.S. president in 1789.