Washington: A Life

News of Lexington and Concord pushed the colonies from protest to war. Washington traveled to the Second Continental Congress in militia uniform, was drafted onto key committees, and—amid political calculations to unite North and South—was unanimously chosen commander in chief of the newly created Continental Army. He declined a salary (accepting only expenses) and wrote anxious, dutiful letters to Martha and family. After Bunker Hill, he proceeded north through rousing public receptions, balancing conciliatory language with military resolve, and quietly arrived at Cambridge on July 2, 1775, to assume command.

Washington established headquarters in Cambridge, inspected and disciplined an unruly patchwork of New England militias, and tried to forge a “continental” identity above state lines. Confronting dire shortages—especially gunpowder—he relied on secrecy and deception to deter attack, while tightening sanitation, uniforms, and command hierarchy. He managed prisoner-treatment disputes with General Gage, asserting authority derived from the people, and moved early against smallpox. Amid intercolonial tensions, he identified and elevated key talents, notably Nathanael Greene and Henry Knox, even as he continued to direct Mount Vernon from afar and worry for Martha’s safety.