US War Department Creates the Regular Army: 700 Soldiers
The first standing army the United States ever established — authorized in September 1789 — had a strength of about 840 men. That was it. The whole thing. The founding generation was deeply suspicious of permanent armies; they'd seen what a standing force could do in the hands of a crown. So Congress debated endlessly before agreeing to just a few hundred soldiers, mainly to man frontier forts. George Washington, who'd commanded tens of thousands, now nominally led a force smaller than some modern-day police departments.
September 29, 1789
237 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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sacre du pape Léon Ier.
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