George Washington became commander in chief of the Continental Army in 1775.
The Second Continental Congress appointed Washington on June 14, 1775, as the conflict with Great Britain expanded after the battles of Lexington and Concord. He had gained military experience during the French and Indian War and was a respected Virginia delegate to Congress.
Washington took command in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and directed the Continental Army throughout the Revolutionary War. His leadership helped sustain the American war effort through severe shortages, battlefield defeats, and harsh winters, including the army’s 1777–78 encampment at Valley Forge.
After the war, Washington resigned his military commission in 1783, a decision that strengthened the principle of civilian government. He later became the first president of the United States under the Constitution, serving from 1789 to 1797. His role links the Revolutionary era commemorated by America250 with the early republic.