In the early years of the war Washington was often in the middle of the action, first directing the Siege of Boston to its successful conclusion, but then losing New York City and almost losing New Jersey before winning surprising and decisive victories at Trenton and Princeton at the end of the 1776 campaign season. He was not usually in command of the many state militia units. The task he took on was enormous, balancing regional demands, competition among his subordinates, morale among the rank and file, attempts by Congress to manage the army's affairs too closely, requests by state governors for support, and an endless need for resources with which to feed, clothe, equip, arm, and move the troops. When the war broke out with the Battles of Lexington and Concord in April 1775, Congress appointed him the first commander-in-chief of the new Continental Army on June 14. He played the leading military role in the American Revolution. Washington, despite his youth, played a major role in the frontier wars against the French and Indians in the 1750s and 1760s. General of the Armies (posthumous promotion) Currier and Ives depiction of Washington accepting his Continental Army commission from the Second Continental Congress
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