Commemoration of George Washington’s Resignation

General George Washington after securing our victory over Great Britain in Yorktown walked into the old Senate Chamber in Annapolis on December 23rd, 1783, resigned his military commission and relinquished command of the Continental Army over to civilian control.  Only one other time in our collective history had that happened when the Roman general Cinncinnatus relinquished his command in 456 BC.

With General Washington’s resignation our newly formed government set a precedence of a civilian controlled military.  Our nation set several firsts and one of those was the peaceful transition of power.