General Washington Resigning his Commission

General George Washington resigned his commission as Commander-in-Chief of the Army to the Congress at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, on December 23, 1783. The event, featuring a victorious general surrendering power to civilian authority, stunned the world and demonstrated the principle of civilian control of the military in the new republic. Washington stands with two aides-de-camp addressing the president of the Congress, Thomas Mifflin, and others, such as Elbridge Gerry, Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and James Madison. Painted by artist John Trumbull, it is now displayed in the United States Capitol rotunda in Washington D.C.