Continental Navy Born: Congress Authorizes Fleet
The Continental Congress authorized the purchase of two sailing vessels on October 13, 1775, to intercept British supply ships heading for Quebec. It was the birth of what would become the United States Navy. The first ships were converted merchantmen armed with a handful of cannons. Within months, Congress expanded the fleet and appointed Esek Hopkins as the first commodore. The early navy was tiny compared to the Royal Navy's 270 ships of the line, but it served a crucial strategic purpose: disrupting British logistics and capturing supplies that Washington's army desperately needed. Captain John Paul Jones became America's first naval hero by raiding the British coast. After the Revolution, Congress disbanded the navy entirely. It was reconstituted in 1794 when Barbary pirates threatened American commerce.
October 13, 1775
251 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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