George Washington became commander in chief of the Continental Army, the Revolutionary-era force connected with America250.
The Second Continental Congress created the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, as a unified army for the colonies fighting Great Britain. Congress selected Washington, a Virginia planter and veteran of the French and Indian War, to lead it. His appointment helped give the new army a commander with military experience and a broad colonial reputation.
Washington led the army through difficult campaigns, including major defeats in New York and New Jersey. He also oversaw important victories at Trenton and Princeton and the decisive campaign at Yorktown, where French assistance helped force the British surrender in 1781.
The Continental Army was not identical to the later United States Army. It was reduced and largely disbanded after the war, while the modern Army traces its institutional origins to both the Continental Army and later congressional reorganizations.