When the Revolutionary War was over, George Washington could have held on to command of the army, and plenty of people expected him to. Instead, on December 23, 1783, he stood before Congress in Annapolis and resigned his commission. People there said his voice faltered and there were plenty of tears in the room. He handed over his commission and rode home to Mount Vernon in time for Christmas. King George III reportedly said that if Washington did that, he would be the greatest man in the world.
