National Museum of the United States Army

Army Trails is an online experience that will explore the history of the United States Army through first-person accounts, short narratives, select documents, and original artifacts contained within the Army’s vast museum collection.

The stories will be organized into seven categories, each corresponding to one of the main exhibition halls at the National Museum of the United States Army at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Founding the Nation Trail

When tensions between the American colonies and the British boiled over in 1775, New England militia fired some of the first shots in what would become a war for independence. Established by Congress on 14 June 1775, the Continental Army became the first truly national institution and an experiment in nationhood. Led by Gen. George Washington, the Continental Army and the states’ citizen-soldiers won the war of independence after eight long years of fighting. Later, the United States faced the...

Begins in Massachusetts

4 Trails

70 Stops

Visit the Museum

Exhibits

Army Trails

Public Programs

Programs & Education

Events

News and Articles

About Us

Get Involved

Visit the Museum

Exhibits

Army Trails

Public Programs

Programs & Education

Events

News and Articles

About Us

Get Involved

Army Trails

Army Trails is an online experience that will explore the history of the United States Army through first-person accounts, short narratives, select documents, and original artifacts contained within the Army’s vast museum collection.

Founding the Nation Trail