Washington Resigns Command: Power Returns to Civilians
Washington walked into the Maryland State House with the kind of power that usually ends in a crown. Commander of the victorious army. Hero to millions. Congress waiting. He pulled a speech from his pocket—hands shaking so badly he needed both to hold the paper—and quit. Just gave it back. King George III heard the news in London and said if Washington really did that, "he will be the greatest man in the world." The room in Annapolis was so small you could barely fit the delegates. But that smallness mattered. Washington refused a military ceremony, insisted on a civilian space, Congress in charge. He returned to Mount Vernon by Christmas. The precedent held. Forty-four presidents later, every American general still answers to a civilian.
December 23, 1783
243 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Continental Army
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George Washington
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Commander-in-Chief
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Annapolis, Maryland
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Maryland State House
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George Washington
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George Washington's resignation as commander-in-chief
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Continental Army
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Maryland State House
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Annapolis, Maryland
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American Revolutionary War
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American Revolution
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Commander-in-chief
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