George Washington was appointed to command the Continental Army on June 14

Another fact is that George Washington was appointed to command the Continental Army on June 14. On June 15, 1775, Congress unanimously chose George Washington as Commander-in-Chief, who accepted and served throughout the war without pay other than payment for costs. The task he took on was enormous, balancing regional demands, competition among his subordinates, morale among the rank and file, congressional attempts to micromanage the army's affairs, requests for assistance from state governors, and an endless need for resources to feed, clothe, equip, arm, and move the troops. He was rarely in command of the numerous state militia formations.

Four major generals (Artemas Ward, Charles Lee, Philip Schuyler, and Israel Putnam) and eight brigadier-generals aided Washington as commanders-in-chief (Seth Pomeroy, Richard Montgomery, David Wooster, William Heath, Joseph Spencer, John Thomas, John Sullivan, and Nathanael Greene). As the Continental Congress assumed the obligations and posture of a legislature for a sovereign state, the function of the Continental Army came under scrutiny. Some Americans were opposed to keeping a standing army; but, the demands of the struggle against the British necessitated the discipline and structure of a modern force. As a result, the army went through numerous distinct phases that were marked by formal dissolution and unit rearrangement.