On September 29, 1789, Congress formally created the United States Army, establishing a permanent military force for the new nation.

The new Army grew out of the Continental Army that had fought during the American Revolution. After the war, the United States kept only a small number of troops, but leaders soon recognized the need for a more organized force to defend the country, protect frontier settlements and support the authority of the new federal government.

The Army created by Congress consisted of roughly 1,000 enlisted men and officers. It was small by modern standards, but it marked an important step in building the institutions of the new United States.

In the years that followed, the Army expanded as the country grew. Soldiers served in conflicts along the frontier, protected military posts and roads, and later fought in major wars that shaped the nation’s history.

From its modest beginnings in 1789, the U.S. Army developed into one of the country’s principal military branches. Its history has become closely tied to the growth of the United States and the service of generations of American soldiers.