George Washington was commander-in-chief of the Continental Army.
Battle of Trenton . Morale in the army was low ; to end the year on a positive note , George Washington -- Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army -- devised a plan to cross the Delaware River on the night of December 25 -- 26 and surround the Hessian garrison . Continental Army . General George Washington was the commander-in-chief of the army throughout the war . George Washington . He served as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War , and later presided over the 1787 convention that drafted the United States Constitution . After crossing the Delaware River in the middle of winter , he defeated the British in two battles ( Trenton and Princeton ) , retook New Jersey , and restored momentum to the Patriot cause . Siege of Boston . The Continental Congress formed the Continental Army from the militia , with George Washington as its Commander in Chief .