In July 1775, General George Washington took command of an army of 16,000 in Cambridge, emphasizing unity among the colonies. The emerging American identity lacked essential symbols like a flag or anthem, with 'Not British' being insufficient as a rallying point. Over the following years, Washington and the Army established the foundations of national identity through legitimate use of force, the creation of significant traditions, and institutions representing all 13 states. This unifying process was complicated and remains ongoing. Unlike typical 18th-century nations based on singular traits, the colonies lacked a common cultural foundation, having deep historical ties to Great Britain instead.
General Washington rode into Cambridge, Massachusetts, to lead an army of 16,000. He hoped all Distinctions of Colonies would be laid aside so that the same spirit might animate the whole.
The country they were fighting to establish had no national identity or culture—no flag, no anthem, no touchstone around which citizens could rally. 'Not British' wasn't enough.
Washington and the Army built the foundations of that national identity by asserting the right to legitimate use of force, creating traditions with symbolic significance, and establishing institutions representing all 13 states.
In 1774, more delegates had visited London than the city that would become our nation's first seat of government. Each colony had spent decades building ties with Great Britain, not with one another.
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