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Written by Paul Mullins

On June 14, 1775—more than a year before the Declaration of Independence was signed and well before the U.S. Constitution was ever drafted—the Second Continental Congress made a bold decision that would change the course of history: it formed a national army.

This new Continental Army, forged from colonial militias, marked the birth of what is now the United States Army—America’s first national institution. Today, 250 years later, we remember the courage, struggle, and determination that gave rise to a fighting force that would go on to defend a fledgling nation and eventually become one of the most formidable militaries the world has ever known.

A Nation Yet to Be
The idea of a united army wasn’t always embraced. Just months before, in 1774, the First Continental Congress had rejected the idea. At that time, the goal was reconciliation with Great Britain, not war. Forming a national army, they reasoned, might ruin any hope of peace.

But peace was already slipping away. On April 19, 1775, British troops marched on Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts—only to be met by colonial militias. The battles that followed sent British forces retreating to Boston, where they found themselves under siege for the next eleven months.

Just two months later, on June 14, Congress realized it could no longer wait. The colonies needed more than scattered militias. They needed a Continental Army.

The very next day, on June 15, 1775, Congress unanimously chose George Washington—a respected Virginian and veteran of the French and Indian War—as commander-in-chief. He would lead not only a military campaign, but a revolutionary cause.

Building an Army from the Ground Up
At its founding, the Continental Army was little more than a patchwork of militias from the thirteen colonies. About 22,000 troops were already besieging Boston, while 5,000 more were stationed in New York, preparing for an invasion of Canada.

These early forces included men from the Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania Lines. Each colony provided regiments—like Varnum’s and Hitchcock’s from Rhode Island, and the Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment—that would become the backbone of this new force.

Among the most remarkable contributions came from Captain Hugh Stephenson, who answered Washington’s call on June 10, 1775. Stephenson’s company, the Berkeley County Riflemen—formed in what is now West Virginia—marched 600 miles from Shepherdstown to Cambridge, Massachusetts, in just 24 days. In 1989, the Secretary of the Army declared Morgan’s Grove Park, near the start of that march, as the official birthplace of the U.S. Army.

To strengthen the Continental Army, Congress also authorized ten companies of expert riflemen from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia to enlist for one year. These units, known for their sharpshooting, soon joined Washington outside Boston.

From Breed’s Hill to Dorchester Heights
Washington took command of the Army on July 3, 1775, just outside Boston. He had barely arrived when he learned that the British planned to seize the surrounding hills to break the siege.

Determined to strike first, colonial forces led by Colonel William Prescott fortified Breed’s Hill, mistakenly thinking it was nearby Bunker Hill. The British launched a fierce attack the next morning. Twice they were driven back. On the third charge, they overwhelmed the Americans, but at great cost. British casualties were the highest of any single engagement in the entire war.

Though technically a British victory, the Battle of Bunker Hill proved the colonists were ready to fight—and ready to die—for their cause. The road to reconciliation was closed.

The siege continued for months until Washington pulled off a masterstroke. Under brutal winter conditions, Colonel Henry Knox led an expedition to retrieve artillery from Fort Ticonderoga. The cannon were dragged over 300 miles through snow and wilderness, arriving just in time to be placed on Dorchester Heights—overlooking the British fleet in Boston Harbor.

Facing destruction, the British withdrew. It was a turning point, and the first major victory for the Continental Army.

Trials, Tribulations, and Transformation
Washington faced another challenge in 1776 as the one-year enlistments began to expire. Many soldiers went home, and Congress was slow to act. The Army nearly dissolved.

In 1777, Congress finally authorized three-year enlistments—or service for the duration of the war. Still, morale was low. Pay was often late. Supplies were scarce. Mutinies erupted. Washington’s leadership held the Army together, even as the odds seemed insurmountable.

In time, these soldiers—once farmers and blacksmiths—became professionals. And when the war finally ended, the Army they had built laid the foundation for what would follow.

In 1785, the Continental Army officially transitioned to the United States Army, continuing its mission in a new republic.

A Legacy That Marches On
The first branch of the Army was the Infantry. Within days, more were created: the Adjutant General’s Corps, Corps of Engineers, Finance Corps, Quartermaster Corps, Army Medical Department, Chaplains, and Judge Advocate General’s Corps. Artillery came in November 1775; Cavalry followed in December.

Over the years, new branches have emerged to meet changing needs. The Aviation Branch was created in 1983. The Cyber Branch, the Army’s newest, was born on September 1, 2014, to meet the demands of modern warfare.

The Army’s story is one of resilience—of overcoming mutinies, supply shortages, political hesitation, and the unimaginable hardship of early war. Through every battle and every era, the Army has adapted and endured.

From the hills of Boston to the fields of Europe, the jungles of Vietnam, the deserts of the Middle East, and now the digital front lines of cyberspace—the Army has kept rolling along.

Happy 250th Birthday, U.S. Army.

Your story is America’s story.