Commander in Chief

Commander in Chief. .

"The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States…" Article II, Section 2

, The Constitution authorizes the president to oversee the operations and deployment of the United States armed forces during times of peace. The president directs strategy and decides objectives once Congress has declared war. The commander in chief clause ensures civilian control of the military and prevents a military dictatorship or coup from overthrowing the government., The president's war power is checked by Congress, which has the constitutional authority to declare war and appropriate money for military operations. Although there was no formal declaration of war during Washington's and Adams' presidencies, Washington invoked his power as commander in chief during the Whiskey Rebellion, and Adams authorized naval action against France as president., In 1791, Congress imposed a tax on distilled whiskey to pay off Revolutionary War debts. This tax proved unpopular with western Pennsylvania farmers who relied on the sale of corn, rye, and grain for their livelihood. In 1794, an angry mob of farmers marched on Pittsburgh to protest the taax and intimidate federal officials. After sending peace commissioners to confront the protestors, Washington, as commander in chief, personally accompanied a multi-state militia force to suppress the rebellion. By the time they reached Pittsburgh, the resistance had dispersed, and no violence ensued., [Caption:] , On October 16, 1794, President George Washington arrived to review the troops at Fort Cumberland, Maryland. Painting attributed to Frederick Kemmelmeyer after 1795. , Courtesy of Metropolitan Museum of Art.