On August 7, 1782, in Newburgh, New York, General George Washington, the commander in chief of the Continental Army, creates the “Badge for Military Merit,” a decoration consisting of a purple, heart-shaped piece of silk, edged with a narrow binding of silver, with the word Merit stitched across the face in silver. 

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Citation Information

Article Title

George Washington creates the Purple Heart

AuthorHistory.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/washington-creates-the-purple-heart

Access Date

August 7, 2022

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

August 5, 2020

Original Published Date

November 13, 2009