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. 

Additional Online Resources:

Past Featured Records

Thanksgiving Proclamation
President Abraham Lincoln’s Thanksgiving Day Proclamation
In 1863, President Lincoln declared that Americans should come together for a national day of Thanksgiving on the last Thursday of November. At the time, Americans had many regional holidays for giving thanks. However, writer Sarah Josepha Hale petitioned the government to make it a single, unified national holiday. When Lincoln finally agreed, the country was in the middle of the Civil War and deeply divided.
James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act
While nearly 3,000 people were killed on 9/11, thousands more died in the years following because of their exposure to toxic dust. In 2011, the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act was passed by Congress to provide healthcare to survivors and those who worked in response and recovery.
Great Seal of the United States
On July 4, 1776, just hours after adopting the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress tasked Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams with creating a national seal. As members of the First Great Seal Committee, each man proposed designs for a national emblem that reflected the independence and aspirations of the new nation. The task proved difficult, and ultimately it took more than three committees and six years to complete the final design for the Great Seal of the United States.
Spymaster-in-Chief: George Washington’s Wartime Espionage
During the Revolutionary War, a large network of colonial spies worked in secret to disrupt British forces. When George Washington took command of the Continental Army in July 1775, he strengthened intelligence efforts by planting false information and writing coded letters to gain an edge over the larger and more experienced British Army. Washington’s account book of wartime spending reveals information about these secret operations.
Snapshots of Service: The 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Navy
The U.S. Navy’s long history began on October 13, 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized ships to intercept British transports as war intensified. While the Navy’s early years are preserved in muster rolls, deck logs, and service records, the Civil War saw photography more candidly capture life in the service.