dec 23, 1783 - General George Washington resigns his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army to the Congress of the Confederation in the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland, and retires to his home at Mount Vernon. Washington's resignation, described by historian Thomas Fleming as "the most important moment in American history,"[7] affirms the United States' commitment to the principle of civilian control of the military, and prompts King George III to call Washington "the greatest character of th