George Washington resigns as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army on December 23, 1783
Washington's voluntary resignation established the precedent of civilian control of the military in the United States.
Key Facts
- Date of resignation
- December 23, 1783
- Location
- Maryland State House, Annapolis, Maryland
- Treaty ending the war
- Treaty of Paris, signed September 3, 1783
- British troops departed New York
- November 25, 1783
- Farewell to officers
- December 4, 1783, Fraunces Tavern, New York City
- Commemorative painting
- John Trumbull, 1824, U.S. Capitol rotunda
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the signing of the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783, and the departure of the last British troops from New York City on November 25, the American Revolutionary War was effectively over. Washington had already bid farewell to the Continental Army on November 2 and to his officers on December 4 at Fraunces Tavern, signaling his intent to return to private life.
On December 23, 1783, George Washington appeared before the Congress of the Confederation, then assembled at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland, and formally resigned his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. The act was entirely voluntary, relinquishing supreme military authority to the civilian government.
Washington's resignation was widely praised as a defining act of statesmanship, reinforcing the principle of civilian supremacy over the military in the new republic. He retired to Mount Vernon, and the event was later commemorated in a life-size painting by John Trumbull, completed in 1824, now displayed in the United States Capitol rotunda.