Before the Declaration of Independence was even signed, America’s founders recognized they would need sea power to survive. On October 13, 1775, the Continental Congress passed a resolution that would dramatically alter the course of the Revolutionary War — and American history — by formally establishing what would become the United States Navy.
The resolution, passed in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall, authorized the purchase of two vessels that became the Andrew Doria and Cabot. This pivotal decision came less than six months after the outbreak of hostilities with Great Britain, at a time when American colonists were still grappling with the idea of full independence.
America’s First Fleet
The first ship commissioned under the new Continental Navy was the USS Alfred on December 3, 1775. She would later serve as the flagship of Commodore Esek Hopkins’ flotilla during the crucial early years of the Revolutionary War. But even before the Navy’s official founding, General George Washington had been improvising maritime operations with remarkable ingenuity.
“When George Washington was appointed ‘General and Commander in Chief of the United Colonies’ on June 15, 1775, there was no American navy… The resourceful Washington was already improvising a fleet in an unusual way,” notes historical records from the U.S. Naval Institute.
Washington had deployed three schooners off the Massachusetts coast, appointing commanders like Commodore Manley who successfully intercepted British supply ships. These early naval engagements provided the Continental Army with desperately needed war materials at a critical juncture in the conflict.
Building from Scratch
What exactly did the Continental Congress authorize on that October day? Nothing less than an ambitious shipbuilding program that would challenge British naval supremacy. The Congress ordered the construction of thirteen frigates within just three months: five ships carrying 32 guns, five with 28 guns, and three armed with 24 guns each.
Among the first Navy officers commissioned were John Barry, widely regarded as the Father of the U.S. Navy, and the legendary John Paul Jones, who would later gain fame for daring raids along the British coastline. “The greatest naval successes of the Revolutionary War were secured by privateers, most famously John Paul Jones whose remains are kept in the crypt beneath the Chapel at the U.S. Naval Academy,” explains historical accounts of the period.
Privateers — privately owned vessels authorized to attack enemy shipping — proved remarkably effective, capturing more than 2,200 British merchant ships throughout the conflict. They represented a crucial asymmetric advantage for the fledgling nation that couldn’t hope to match Britain’s formal naval power.
A Navy’s True Purpose
Why was establishing a navy so important to the founders? Alexander Hamilton articulated the strategic vision clearly in Federalist Paper No. 11, emphasizing that naval power would be essential for protecting America’s commerce and international standing.
“Let Americans disdain to be the instruments of European greatness! Let the thirteen States, bound together in a strict and indissoluble Union, concur in erecting one great American system, superior to the control of all transatlantic force or influence, and able to dictate the terms of the connection between the old and the new world!” Hamilton wrote, advocating for a naval force that could operate independently of European powers.
The governing regulations for this new maritime force were drafted by John Adams and adopted by Congress on November 28, 1775. These rules would remain in effect throughout the Revolutionary War, establishing the operational framework for America’s first naval forces.
Over 50 Continental vessels would eventually serve during the Revolutionary War, focusing on enemy harassment, munitions seizure, and protection of international commerce — missions that remain core naval functions today.
Legacy and Celebration
Could the founders have envisioned how their modest naval beginning would evolve? Perhaps not. But October 13, 1775, remains celebrated as the U.S. Navy’s official birthday, marking the moment when the Continental Congress established the committee that would create a naval force capable of challenging the world’s preeminent maritime power.
“On October 13, 1775, less than six months after the outbreak of the American Revolution, the Navy was born in Philadelphia,” states the historical record — a simple statement that belies the extraordinary vision and courage required to create a navy from nothing in the midst of a revolution against the world’s dominant naval power.
That founding moment in Philadelphia set in motion a maritime tradition that would eventually see the United States develop the most powerful navy in world history — a far cry from those first two vessels authorized on a autumn day in 1775.
