At the end of the American War for Independence, Continental soldiers and officers nearly mutinied against General George Washington and Congress. For eight years, Congress had been unable to adequately provide provisions and pay, and the men feared they would never be paid. However, if the military rebelled, Washington knew it would risk their victory, tarnish their country’s reputation, and subvert their hard-won liberty under military tyranny. So Washington announced what James Thomas Flexner (his great biographer) considered to be the most important meeting ever called in American history.
In 1783, near the Continental military headquarters in Newburgh, New York, Washington delivered an address to a room full of his officers. He communicated the danger and consequences of mutiny, the need to maintain dignity and honor, and encouraged them to trust that their country and leaders would repay their sacrifice.
Then, in conclusion, Washington did and said something that shocked his officers, turning them away from certain doom and making them repent of their rebellion.
Read Washington’s Newburgh Address here and learn what happened. (It’s a five-to-eight-minute read.)
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