Washington's Speech Resigning His Commission

In December of 1783, at Annapolis, Maryland, George Washington surrendered his commission as commanding general of the Continental Army. This act is seen by many historians as establishing the tradition in America that the military is subordinate to civilian political leadership. Today, we take this for granted, but it wasn't always so clear. If you click on the link in this entry's title you can read a Washington Post article about the speech that Washington gave when he tendered his resignation to the Continental Congress. The State of Maryland has recently acquired the original draft of Washington's speech, written in his own handwriting. It is a very interesting article and one that all of us can reflect on during this President's Day.