By: Daniel Nardini
The date June 14th,* is generally not remembered in the United States. Nevertheless, it is an important date because it was the official organization of the Continental Army against the British expeditionary forces. The Continental Congress chose as its general George Washington. Washington did not accept pay for his services, but he wanted his men to be paid. The organization of the Continental Army in 1775 was the beginning of an armed opposition against the British.
Remember this was before the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the major battles that would be fought many years later like Trenton, Saratoga and Yorktown. When the Continental Congress first organized an armed opposition it knew it was starting a rebellion against the British Crown. Even though no declaration of independence had yet been made, the first American armed forces had been created on the assumption of fighting the British. Those who joined the Continental Army knew that they faced a foe five times larger, better equipped and much better financed. They also faced being hanged for treason, and some of them were.
And the war did not go good for the American rebels as they were being called in the first year. The British took over New York City, Boston, and split the American colonies in two. When Washington took control of this ragtag army the odds were very much against him. To make things worse he usually could not pay his troops. The Continental Army was paid in currency printed by the Continental Congress. But that currency was for all due purposes worthless as it was not backed by gold or silver. The British on the other hand had not only currency that was widely accepted but also gold and silver coins.
To put it mildly the desertion rate for the Continental Army was high. One might even say that Washington almost did not have an army at all. And yet through his sheer determination, his generalship and those officers he picked to help train this nearly worthless army, Washington fought and eventually defeated the greatest military power of the time. After the American Revolution the Continental Army was disbanded and in its place was created the United States armed forces. But for all due purposes the founding day for the U.S. armed forces is June 14th, and we should remember this day.
*Not to be confused with U.S. Armed Forces Day which is celebrated every third Saturday in May.
The Birth of America’s Armed Forces
By: Daniel Nardini
The date June 14th,* is generally not remembered in the United States. Nevertheless, it is an important date because it was the official organization of the Continental Army against the British expeditionary forces. The Continental Congress chose as its general George Washington. Washington did not accept pay for his services, but he wanted his men to be paid. The organization of the Continental Army in 1775 was the beginning of an armed opposition against the British.
Remember this was before the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the major battles that would be fought many years later like Trenton, Saratoga and Yorktown. When the Continental Congress first organized an armed opposition it knew it was starting a rebellion against the British Crown. Even though no declaration of independence had yet been made, the first American armed forces had been created on the assumption of fighting the British. Those who joined the Continental Army knew that they faced a foe five times larger, better equipped and much better financed. They also faced being hanged for treason, and some of them were.
And the war did not go good for the American rebels as they were being called in the first year. The British took over New York City, Boston, and split the American colonies in two. When Washington took control of this ragtag army the odds were very much against him. To make things worse he usually could not pay his troops. The Continental Army was paid in currency printed by the Continental Congress. But that currency was for all due purposes worthless as it was not backed by gold or silver. The British on the other hand had not only currency that was widely accepted but also gold and silver coins.
To put it mildly the desertion rate for the Continental Army was high. One might even say that Washington almost did not have an army at all. And yet through his sheer determination, his generalship and those officers he picked to help train this nearly worthless army, Washington fought and eventually defeated the greatest military power of the time. After the American Revolution the Continental Army was disbanded and in its place was created the United States armed forces. But for all due purposes the founding day for the U.S. armed forces is June 14th, and we should remember this day.
*Not to be confused with U.S. Armed Forces Day which is celebrated every third Saturday in May.