Founding1789
U.S. Army Established
Congress established the United States Army as the country's first permanent military force, authorized at a strength of several hundred soldiers. The act reflected the Founders' careful balance between the need for national defense and their wariness of standing armies.
Why It Matters
The establishment of the Army under civilian control of Congress embodied the constitutional principle that the military serves the republic, not the other way around, a foundational concept of American governance.