Land of the Brave

Continental Army

Colonial America - Land of the Brave

Continental Army
Definition of Continental Army: The Continental Army was the regular army of America established by the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, with George Washington as Commander-in-Chief, that was initially formed in the Boston area after fighting against the British broke out at the Battle of Lexington and the Battle of Concord in 1775.

The soldiers who made up the Continental Army came from the thirteen colonies that became the United States of America. There was no standing army at the outbreak of the Revolutionary war - each colony had relied upon the local militia who were made up of part time soldiers.

The outbreak of the American Revolutionary war meant that the Continental Congress needed to organize an armed force of American soldiers as quickly as possible to fight in the conflict against the British.

The Continental Army v the British Army
The Continental Army was  established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775. The Continental Army, under the command of George Washington, was created to coordinate the military efforts of the 13 Colonies in their rebellion against British rule. The soldiers who made up the Continental Army had no formal military experience, they had no uniforms, there were no established regiments and commanders and there were limited firearms. They were faced with fighting the British who had many advantages over the American Continental Army:

  • The British had a well established standing army - the Continental Army did not
  • The British had a well established navy - the Continental Army did not
  • The British had ample quantities of powder, guns, and clothing - the Continental Army did not
  • The British army of Redcoats was well disciplined and well trained - the Continental Army was not. America had not had the time to co-ordinate their Continental Army
  • The British were well supported by German mercenaries, called Hessians, who provided an additional 30,000 troops and made up a quarter of the armed forces of Great Britain - the Continental Army had no such allies at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, they were supported by local forces of militia

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Updated 2018-01-01

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