On September 29, 1789, the United States Congress formally created what would become the permanent United States Army.
Although militias and the Continental Army had defended the young nation during the Revolutionary War, it was on this date—just months after the Constitution took effect—that Congress passed legislation placing the military under the authority of the new federal government.
The measure authorized a modest force: just a few hundred men, primarily infantry, charged with securing the frontier and protecting settlers against hostile threats.
It represented a cautious step by the Founders, many of whom feared standing armies as instruments of tyranny. Yet, Congress also recognized that the fragile republic could not survive without a disciplined force to uphold order and safeguard sovereignty.
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