In 1775, after the violence at Lexington and Concord, the second Continental Congress resolved that the colonies ought to be put in a position of defense, and the first practical step was the unanimous selection in June 15, 1775, of George Washington as commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the United Colonies. Refusing any salary and asking only the reimbursement of his expenses, Washington accepted the position, asking every gentleman in the room, however, to remember his declaration that he did not believe himself to be equal to the command, and that he accepted it only as a duty made imperative by the unanimity of the call.