Who was appointed commander in chief of the Continental Army before the Declaration of Independence?

George Washington was appointed commander in chief of the Continental Army before the Declaration of Independence.

The Second Continental Congress created the Continental Army on June 14, 1775, more than a year before adopting the Declaration. Congress selected Washington as commander in chief on June 15, and he accepted the appointment the following day.

Washington had served in the Virginia militia and had gained military experience during the French and Indian War. Congress believed that appointing a Virginian would help unite the colonies behind a common army rather than make the conflict appear to be only a New England uprising.

Washington led the Continental Army throughout the Revolutionary War. His command linked the military struggle that began in 1775 with the political independence formally announced in 1776. The U.S. Army recognizes the Continental Army’s creation as its institutional origin.