Washington Bids Farewell: Peaceful Power Transfer
George Washington gathered his officers at Fraunces Tavern in New York City on December 4, 1783, and bid them farewell in a brief, emotional ceremony. He embraced each officer individually, starting with Henry Knox, tears running down his face. Then he walked to the Annapolis State House and resigned his commission to Congress on December 23. King George III, upon hearing that Washington intended to return to his farm rather than seize power, reportedly said: 'If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world.' Washington's voluntary surrender of military authority was unprecedented in the eighteenth century. It established the foundational American principle that the military serves under civilian control and that power is relinquished voluntarily. Without this precedent, the republic might never have stabilized.
December 4, 1783
243 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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