In June 1775, Congress ordered General George Washington to take command
of the Continental Army besieging the British in Boston. Despite having
little practical experience in managing large, conventional armies,
Washington proved to be a capable and resilient leader of the American
military forces during the war. While he lost more battles than he won,
George Washington employed a winning strategy that included signal
victories at the Battle of Trenton in 1776 and Yorktown in 1781.
Washington’s greatest wartime legacy was his decision to surrender his
commission to Congress, affirming the principle of civilian control of
the military in the new United States.
