250th Anniversary of the U.S. Army

On Display 6/12/2025 – 7/30/2025

America’s first national institution

The United States Army is older than the nation it protects and defends. Established more than a year before American independence was declared, the U.S. Army—America’s first national institution—has played a vital role throughout our history. 

The United States Army is older than the nation it protects and defends. Established more than a year before American independence was declared, the U.S. Army—America’s first national institution—has played a vital role throughout our history. 

Whether they fought to secure American independence, to preserve the Union, or to make the world a safer place and defend against the global threat of terrorism, American soldiers have been celebrated for their valor and perseverance. Today, nearly one million active duty and reserve troops serve in the U.S. Army to provide for the common defense of the United States and its citizens.

Resolution Establishing a Continental Army and Appointing a Commander-in-Chief, Rough Journal of the Continental Congress, June 13–15, 1775. Records of the Continental and Confederation Congresses and the Constitutional Convention

Two months after the Revolutionary War erupted at the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the Continental Congress undertook steps to mount a united colonial response against the British. This journal entry from June 14, 1775, notes that the delegates adopted a resolution to enlist riflemen from the middle colonies to serve with New England forces in an “American Continental Army.” 

The following day, they unanimously elected George Washington to command the new continental force “raised for the defence of American liberty.” After the war, Washington believed the new United States needed a national system for training and organizing troops, which the Army is based upon today. 

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Past Featured Records

250th Anniversary of the U.S. Army
The United States Army is older than the nation it protects and defends. Established more than a year before American independence was declared, the U.S. Army—America’s first national institution—has played a vital role throughout our history.
80th Anniversary of V-E Day: End of WWII in Europe
World War II, the deadliest military conflict in history, erupted in Europe on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland.
The War Beneath the Waves: Mary Sears and the Navy’s Oceanographic Unit
During World War II, navigating the Pacific Ocean's perilous tides and currents posed a constant challenge to the U.S. Navy. To update their maps and intelligence, the Navy established an Oceanographic Unit in 1943. The team of scientists was led by Mary Sears, a marine biologist commissioned as a lieutenant junior grade in the women’s division of the Naval Reserve, the WAVES.
Freedmen’s Bureau Marriage Records
After the Civil War, the federal government established a War Department agency to help Americans transition from slavery to freedom. The Freedmen’s Bureau (1865–72) issued rations, operated hospitals and helped establish schools and unite families. It worked to resolve labor disputes and negotiate labor contracts. It also presided over and documented marriages between freed couples.
20th Amendment: A New Inauguration Day
From George Washington’s second term through Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first, inauguration day was generally held on March 4. Without cars or computers, the four months between the election and inauguration served a purpose in the late 18th and 19th centuries. It allowed the President-elect time to settle their affairs and journey to the nation’s capital.