Today in History: Establishing U.S. Troops

Last Updated on October 1, 2019

Today in History–September 29–the Library of Congress features the official establishment of the U.S. military by Congress on this day in 1789. The act, spurred on by President George Washington, legalized the existing U.S. Army, a small force inherited from the Continental Congress that had been created under the Articles of Confederation. Find out more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access troop-related primary sources.

Legislation establishing U.S. troops

Images of troops

Troop-related manuscripts and documents

Maps of troop positions and more

Military maps

Troop-related sheet music

Troops legislation

Stars and Stripes: The American Soldiers’ Newspaper of World War I, 1918 to 1919

More military primary source collections

U.S. Army images

U.S. Army sheet music

U.S. Army song recordings

U.S. Army images

Related resources

• Today in History: United States Military Academy at West Point
• Today in History: The U.S. Naval Academy & the Navy
• Today in History: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers