Continental Congress Establishes the Continental Army
The establishment of the Continental Army by the Second Continental Congress marked a pivotal moment in the early stages of the American Revolutionary War. Occurring in June 1775, this decision arose from the need for a more organized military force, as initial conflicts with British troops demonstrated the limitations of local militia groups. The Congress recognized that intercolonial cooperation was essential for effective resistance against British forces and sought to unify the colonies under a central command.
Massachusetts, having initiated the request for a more comprehensive military structure, offered to allow the Continental Congress to oversee the New England troops besieging Boston. This collaboration led to the recruitment of additional forces from surrounding colonies, reflecting a growing sense of unity among the colonies. The Congress appointed George Washington as the Commander in Chief, signaling its commitment to a coordinated military effort. This foundational moment set the stage for a more organized resistance and the eventual fight for independence, highlighting the complexities of colonial relations and the collective aspirations for self-governance.
Continental Congress Establishes the Continental Army
The Continental Congress Establishes the Continental Army
More than a year before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Second Continental Congress established the Continental, or American, army. The colonials who fought in the earliest battles of the American Revolution, such as at Lexington, Concord, and Fort Ticonderoga, had been members of New England militia companies. These local units were able to endure the first clashes with the British, but they could not provide sufficient men or arms for extensive campaigns against the enemy. Successful long-term resistance to the British required intercolonial cooperation.
Less than a month after the battles of Lexington and Concord, the Massachusetts provincial congress requested the Second Continental Congress, then meeting in Philadelphia, to consider such “matters as may be necessary to the defense of this colony and particularly the state of the army therein.” Massachusetts needed weapons and supplies from the other colonies. In return it offered to allow the Continental Congress to assume the “regulation and general direction” of the 15,000 New England troops then besieging British-held Boston “for the general defense of the rights of America.” The congress agreed to this arrangement.
The most important actions toward the creation of an intercolonial army took place in June 1775, when the congress ordered the formulation of a “draft of rules and regulations for the government of the army” and recruited ten rifle companies from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia for service in Massachusetts. The following day the Philadelphia gathering appointed George Washington of Virginia to be “General and Commander in Chief of the Army of the United Colonies” and began to name generals for Continental commissions.