Continental Army

The Continental Army was a group of soldiers under the command of George Washington. This army was different from the state militias. the Continental Army stood around 230,000 strong, while the state militias could count around 164,000 men, although only 20,000 men were actively fighting at any one time. Washington commanded the Continental Army from June 1775 to the end of the war in 1783.



Washington had gained plenty of military experience during the French and Indian War. The original Continental Army was made up of the New England army. The Second Congressional Congress co-opted this force as the new U.S. army and ordered that 10 companies of riflemen be recruited from other states. This would provide for the larger force that developed as the war continued. Many of the soldiers came from agricultural backgrounds and were poorly trained, poorly paid, not used to military discipline and refused to leave their farms for extended periods.



Washington developed tactics to take advantage of the opportunities available to his armies. He tried to maintain a strong army and avoid situations where his soldiers were outnumbered and could be trapped and captured or killed. His men would not hesitate to retreat if that was the best option open to them. He also used small mobile forces to harass, confuse and distract the British.