On this day (December 22) in 1783, General George Washington resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, setting a critical precedent.
During the American Revolution, the Commander-in-Chief was a general. It is the only time in United States history that a general held that supreme authority. Since the adoption of our US Constitution, the Commander-in-Chief has been a civilian - namely, the President of the United States. It might not have been so had it not been for this date in history.
On December 22, 1783, content that the British had in fact given up (the ink drying on the Treaty of Paris - a treaty which granted American independence), George Washington resigned his commission as a general and as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army.
While this blog post may be a little off-topic, I couldn't let such a significant day go by. Washington's resignation was the culmination of a series of decisions that included his refusal to become king or dictator - at a time when the nation arguably needed one. In fact, an argument could have been made to justify Washington seizing imperial power. The country was weak, the states divided, the government unable to pay its soldiers (which were on the verge of an uprising), etc. A strong leader could have settled many of those problems, and the pressure on Washington to step up to that plate was enormous. But he refused - believing that the LONG-TERM was more important than the short term.
On this day (December 22), George Washington gave what was perhaps his greatest Christmas gift to the American people. He walked away from power. The country would call him back into service just a few years later - but he would walk away AGAIN from power after serving two terms as President.
Where are the George Washingtons today?
