Continental army

During the first armed clashes between British troops and American colonists (the Battle of Lexington and Concord in 1775 ), the latter did not have any army at all. Initially, each of the 13 British colonies had their own militia, made up of local colonists who were called up for part time for local self-defense. The growing tension in relations with the mother country led the Americans to reform the militia, the increased training of the militias was caused by the adoption of the Unbearable Laws in London in 1774 . Richard Henry Lee made a proposal to organize a pan-American militia, but such a proposal was rejected by the First Continental Congress ^[1] .

After the battles of Lexington and Concord, thousands of New England militias grouped in the Boston area to fight British forces. On June 14, 1775, the Second Continental Congress decided to form a Continental Army based on militias already in the Boston area. On June 15, Congress appointed by secret ballot George Washington, who accepted the position without any monetary compensation ^{[2] [3] [4] [5]} . Within a few days, four major generals ( Artemas Ward , Charles Lee , Philip Schuyler , Israel Putnam ) and eight brigadier generals ( Seth Pomeroy , Richard Montgomery , David Wooster, William Heath , Joseph Spencer, John Thomas, John Sullivan and Nathaniel were appointed Green ) ^{[6] [7] [8]} . After Pomeroy refused the offer, his place was taken by John Thomas ^[9] .

On July 18, 1775, Congress asked all colonies to form militia companies out of "all men aged sixteen to fifty capable of holding arms." Persons under sixteen in the militia were not uncommon, since most colonies did not require parental consent for persons under 21 years of age (adulthood) ^[10] .

The continental army was recruited from citizens, their service was paid. At the first stage, the terms of service were short, as Congress was afraid of turning the militia into a standing army . Since the winter of 1776-1777, standard terms have been increased from 1 to 3 years. The total number of the Continental Army never exceeded 27 thousand people.

In 1775, George Washington organized three Continental Army divisions ; in addition, ten regiments under the command of Major General Philip Schuyler launched an unsuccessful invasion of Canada .

In 1776, the lives of many soldiers had already expired and reorganization began, in addition, attempts were made to expand the recruitment base outside New England.

In the years 1777 - 1780, the Continental Army had to deal with significant British forces. The number was determined at 88 battalions , Commander-in-Chief George Washington received the authority with his power to recruit an additional 16 battalions. Duration of service was increased to three years or "until the end of the war."

In 1781 - 1782, the army faced a serious crisis. Congress went bankrupt and was unable to pay a salary to soldiers called up for three years. Washington had to face riots in the "lines" (brigades) of Pennsylvania and New Jersey .

In 1783 - 1784, the US Army became the successor to the Continental Army. Immediately after the conclusion of peace with the British, most of the regiments were disbanded.

On June 3, 1784, Congress decided to create the US Army. Small forces were left at West Point and several border outposts , the main forces of the Continental Army were disbanded.

The transition to the peacetime army began in April 1783 at the request of the congressional committee chaired by Alexander Hamilton . On May 2, the commander in chief discussed this issue with senior officers .

At the suggestion of Washington, four main components of the armed forces were formed: a small regular army , uniformly trained and organized militias, a system of arsenals, and a military academy for the training of gunners and military engineers . He requested four regiments, each for a separate sector of the border, and one artillery regiment.

On November 2, 1783, George Washington issued a farewell order for the army, published in the newspapers of Philadelphia. On January 14, 1784, Congress ratified the Paris Treaty of September 3, 1783, ending the war of independence.

George Washington’s proposals for organizing a peacetime army were rejected. Moderate delegates proposed establishing an army of 900, consisting of three infantry battalions and one artillery. However, this proposal was rejected due to differences between the states of New York and Massachusetts .

On June 2, Congress ordered the entire army to be dissolved, with the exception of 25 at Fort Pitt and 55 at West Point . The next day, a compromise was adopted, which determined the size of the army at 700, recruited in four states ( Pennsylvania , New York , Connecticut , New Jersey ) for a 1-year service life. Congress authorized the Secretary of War to organize 8 infantry companies and 2 artillery. Thus, the 1st American regiment was slowly recruited, led by veterans of the Revolutionary War and inherited the traditions of the Continental Army.

• Robert K. Wright, Center of Military History. The Continental Army . - illustrated, reprinted. - Center of Military History, US Army, 1983 .-- 451 p.
• David M. Rosen. Child Soldiers in the Western Imagination: From Patriots to Victims. - illustrated, reprinted. - Rutgers University Press, 2015 .-- 228 p. - ISBN 9780813563701 . - ISBN 0813563704 .