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{{Short description|American navy of the Revolutionary War period (1775–1785)}}
{{Use American English|date = March 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = November 2013}}
{{Infobox military unit
| unit_name          = Continental Navy
| image              = US Naval Jack 13 stripes.svg
| image_size         = 300
| caption            = [[Jack (flag)|Naval jack]] of the Continental Navy
| start_date         = 1775
| end_date           = 1785
| country            = [[United Colonies]] (1775–1776) <br /> [[United States]] <br /> (1776–1785)
| branch             = [[Navy]]
| battles            = [[American Revolutionary War]]
| commander1         = [[John Adams]]
| commander1_label   = [[United States Secretary of the Navy|Chairman of the Naval Committee]] (1775–1776)
| commander2         = [[Esek Hopkins]]
| commander2_label   = [[Chief of Naval Operations|Commander-in-Chief]] (1775–1778)
| notable_commanders = [[John Paul Jones]] <br /> [[John Barry (naval officer)|John Barry]]
}}

The '''Continental Navy''' was the navy of the [[United Colonies]] and [[United States]] from 1775 to 1785. It was founded on October 13, 1775 by the [[Continental Congress]] to fight against British forces and their allies as part of the [[American Revolutionary War]]. Due to the efforts of several prominent patrons such as [[John Adams]], the Continental Navy eventually developed into a substantial force, though it never replicated the successes of the [[Continental Army]]. In 1776, [[Commodore (United States)|Commodore]] [[Esek Hopkins]] was appointed by Congress to command the navy.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=1927-12-01 |title=The Father of the American Navy |url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1927/december/father-american-navy |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=U.S. Naval Institute |language=en}}</ref>

Initially, the Continental Navy's ships consisted of purchased merchantmen, due to a lack of funds for constructing purpose-built warships. This resulted from American leaders focusing on the Continental Army, as they were aware that the [[Royal Navy]]'s [[command of the sea]] meant no naval force they raised could hope to seriously challenge it. The primary missions of the Continental Navy, which eventually acquired a series of frigates and smaller warships, were to raid British shipping and colonies to acquire supplies for use by American troops along with defending US commerce.

The Continental Navy was unable to make a significant impact on the war's outcome, and many of its ships were lost to British naval attacks, accidents, or bad weather. However, it produced a corps of skilled naval officers who would go on to fight in the [[Quasi-War]], [[Barbary Wars]] and [[War of 1812]]. American forces emerged victorious in the Revolutionary War in 1783, and two years later the Continental Navy was disbanded by Congress. On March 27, 1794, the [[United States Navy]] was officially established, inheriting many of the Continental Navy's traditions.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Goat |first=Bill the |title=How the United States Navy Started |url=https://go.navyonline.com/blog/how-navy-started |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=go.navyonline.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |date=February 1977 |title=William M. Fowler, Jr. ''Rebels Under Sail: The American Navy during the Revolution''. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. 1976. Pp. xi, 356. $15.00 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/ahr/82.1.176 |journal=The American Historical Review |doi=10.1086/ahr/82.1.176 |issn=1937-5239|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

==Congressional oversight of construction==
[[File:adamstrumbull.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[John Adams]] took an active role in the formation of the navy and the drafting of suitable operational regulations. Painting by [[John Trumbull]], {{Circa|1792}}–93.]]

The original intent of the Continental Navy was to intercept the supply of arms and provisions to British forces, which had placed [[Boston]] under [[martial law]]. [[George Washington]] had already informed Congress that he had assumed command of several ships for this purpose, and individual governments of various colonies had outfitted their own warships.<ref name=":1" /> The first formal movement for a navy came from [[Rhode Island]], whose State Assembly passed a resolution on August 26, 1775, instructing its delegates to Congress to introduce legislation calling "for building at the Continental expense a fleet of sufficient force, for the protection of these colonies, and for employing them in such a manner and places as will most effectively annoy our enemies...."<ref>{{Cite web |date=1905-07-01 |title=The Administration of the Continental Navy of the American Revolution |url=https://www.usni.org/magazines/proceedings/1905/july/administration-continental-navy-american-revolution |access-date=2023-01-19 |website=U.S. Naval Institute |language=en}}</ref> The measure in the Continental Congress was met with much derision, especially on the part of [[Maryland]] delegate [[Samuel Chase]] who exclaimed it to be "the maddest idea in the world." John Adams later recalled, "The opposition... was very loud and vehement. It was... represented as the most wild, visionary, mad project that had ever been imagined. It was an infant taking a mad bull by his horns."<ref name=":0" />

During this time, however, the issue arose of [[Quebec]]-bound British supply ships carrying desperately needed provisions that could otherwise benefit the Continental Army. The Continental Congress appointed [[Silas Deane]] and [[John Langdon (politician)|John Langdon]] to draft a plan to seize ships from the convoy in question.<ref name=":2" />

==Creation==
[[File:USS Columbus.jpg|thumb|The Continental Navy frigate {{USS|Columbus|1774|2}} with the captured British brig ''Lord Lifford'' off New England, 1776]]

On June 12, 1775, the [[Rhode Island General Assembly]], meeting at [[East Greenwich, Rhode Island|East Greenwich]], passed a resolution creating a navy for the colony of Rhode Island. The same day, Governor [[Nicholas Cooke]] signed orders addressed to Captain [[Abraham Whipple]], commander of the [[USS Providence (1775)|sloop ''Katy'']] and commodore of the armed vessels employed by the government.<ref name="Miller15">{{Harvnb|Miller|1997|p=15}}</ref>

The first formal movement for the creation of a Continental navy came from Rhode Island because its merchants' shipping activities, including illegal smuggling, had been increasingly policed by several years by the Royal Navy. On August 26, 1775, [[Rhode Island General Assembly]] passed a resolution that there be a single Continental fleet funded by the [[Continental Congress]].<ref name="Howarth6">{{Harvnb|Howarth|1999|p=6}}</ref> The resolution was introduced in the Continental Congress on October 3, 1775, but was tabled. In the meantime, [[George Washington]] had begun to acquire ships, starting with the schooner {{USS|Hannah||2}} which was chartered by Washington<ref name=Miller15/> from merchant and Continental Army Lt. Colonel [[John Glover (general)|John Glover]] of [[Marblehead, Massachusetts|Marblehead]], Massachusetts.<ref>{{Cite journal|url= http://www.legendinc.com/Pages/MarbleheadNet/MM/Articles/BirthplaceOfAmericanNavy.html|access-date=April 26, 2011|title=The Birthplace of the American Navy|author=Westfield, Duane and Bill Purdin|journal=Marblehead Magazine}}</ref> ''Hannah'' was commissioned and launched on September 5, 1775, under the command of Captain [[Nicholson Broughton]] from the port of [[Beverly, Massachusetts]].

{{Quote box|''Resolved'', That a swift sailing vessel, to carry ten carriage guns, and a proportionable number of swivels, with eighty men, be fitted, with all possible despatch, for a cruise of three months, and that the commander be instructed to cruize eastward, for intercepting such transports as may be laden with warlike stores and other supplies for our enemies, and for such other purposes as the Congress shall direct.<br />That a Committee of three be appointed to prepare an estimate of the expence, and lay the same before the Congress, and to contract with proper persons to fit out the vessel.<br />''Resolved'', that another vessel be fitted out for the same purposes, and that the said committee report their opinion of a proper vessel, and also an estimate of the expence.|Resolution of the Continental Congress that marked the establishment of what is now the United States Navy.<ref name=Establish/>|width=50%|align=right}}

The United States Navy decided in 1971 to recognize October 13, 1775 as the date of its official establishment,<ref name="Miller16">{{Harvnb|Miller|1997|p=16}}</ref> the passage of the resolution of the Continental Congress at Philadelphia that created the Continental Navy.<ref name=Establish>{{Cite web|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq59-13.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990204022651/http://history.navy.mil/faqs/faq59-13.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 4, 1999|title=Establishment of the Navy, 13&nbsp;October 1775|publisher=United States Navy|access-date=November 5, 2009}}</ref> On this day, Congress authorized the purchase of two vessels to be armed for a cruise against British merchant ships; these ships became {{USS|Andrew Doria|1775|2}} and {{USS|Cabot|1775|2}}.<ref name=Miller16/> The first ship in commission was {{USS|Alfred|1774|6}} which was purchased on November 4 and [[Ship commissioning|commissioned]] on December 3 by Captain [[Dudley Saltonstall]].<ref name=Sweetman1>{{Harvnb|Sweetman|2002|p=1}}</ref> On November 10, 1775, the Continental Congress passed a resolution calling for two battalions of [[United States Marine Corps|Marines]] to be raised for service with the fleet.<ref name="birth">{{cite web|url=http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Docs_Speeches/Continentialcongressestmarines1775.htm|title=Resolution Establishing the Continental Marines|last=Journal of the Continental Congress|date=November 10, 1775|publisher=[[United States Marine Corps History Division]]|access-date=April 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101007204834/http://www.tecom.usmc.mil/HD/Docs_Speeches/Continentialcongressestmarines1775.htm|archive-date=October 7, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[John Adams]] drafted its first governing regulations, which were adopted by Congress on November 28, 1775, and remained in effect throughout the Revolutionary War. The Rhode Island resolution was reconsidered by the Continental Congress and was passed on December 13, 1775, authorizing the building of thirteen frigates within the next three months: five ships of 32 guns, five with 28 guns, and three with 24 guns.<ref name=Miller17>{{Harvnb|Miller|1997|p=17}}</ref>

[[File:AbrahamWhippleColorPortrait.jpg|left|thumb|[[Abraham Whipple]] painting by [[Edward Savage (artist)|Edward Savage]] ]]

When it came to selecting commanders for ships, Congress tended to be split evenly between merit and patronage.{{citation needed|date=September 2016}}  Among those who were selected for political reasons were [[Esek Hopkins]], [[Dudley Saltonstall]], and Esek Hopkins' son [[John Burroughs Hopkins]]. However, [[Abraham Whipple]], [[Nicholas Biddle (naval officer)|Nicholas Biddle]], and [[John Paul Jones]] managed to be appointed with backgrounds in marine warfare.
On December 22, 1775, Esek Hopkins was appointed the naval [[commander-in-chief]], and officers of the navy were commissioned. Saltonstall, Biddle, Hopkins, and Whipple were commissioned as captains of the ''Alfred'', ''Andrew Doria'', ''Cabot'', and {{USS|Columbus|1774|2}}, respectively.

Hopkins led the [[Raid of Nassau|first major naval action]] of the Continental Navy in early March 1776 with this small fleet, complemented by {{USS|Providence|1775|2}} (12), {{USS|Wasp|1775|2}} (8), and {{USS|Hornet|1775|2}} (10). The battle occurred at [[Nassau, Bahamas]] where stores of much-needed gunpowder were seized for the use of the [[Continental Army]]. However, success was diluted with the appearance of disease spreading from ship to ship.

On April 6, 1776, the squadron, with the addition of {{USS|Fly|1776|2}} (8), [[Battle of Block Island|unsuccessfully encountered]] the 20-gun {{HMS|Glasgow|1757|6}} in the first major sea battle of the Continental Navy. Hopkins failed to give any substantive orders other than to recall the fleet from the engagement, a move which Captain Nicholas Biddle described: "away we all went helter, skelter, one flying here, another there."

On Lake Champlain, [[Benedict Arnold]] ordered the construction of 12 war vessels to slow down the British fleet that was invading New York from Canada. The British fleet destroyed Arnold's fleet, but the US fleet managed to slow down the British after a two-day battle, known as the [[Battle of Valcour Island]], and managed to slow the progression of the British Army.<ref name=Miller2122>{{Harvnb|Miller|1997|pp=21–22}}</ref>

As the war progressed, states began directing more resources toward naval pursuits. During the inaugural session of the [[Virginia General Assembly]], the senate began acquiring lands for naval manufacturing. [[Charles O. Paullin]] states that "no other state owned as much land, properties, and manufactories devoted to naval purposes as Virginia.<ref name=Paullin>{{cite thesis |last=Paullin |first=Charles O. |type=PhD |date=1906 |title=The Navy of the American Revolution: Its Administration, its Policy and its Achievements (dissertation) |publisher=The University of Chicago |access-date=April 21, 2014 |url=https://archive.org/details/navyamericanrev01paulgoog}}</ref> [[Sampson Mathews]] oversaw the operation stationed at [[Warwick, Virginia (Chesterfield County)|Warwick]] on the [[James River]], the most important of the works, which produced much sail material from flax grown in his home county of [[Augusta County, Virginia|Augusta]], as there was no money available to buy linen cloth for sails.<ref name=Stewart>{{cite book |last=Stewart |first=Robert A. |date=1934 |title=The History of Virginia's Navy of the Revolution |publisher=The University of Virginia |page= 136 |url=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?q1=mathews;id=uc1.%24b727189;view=1up;seq=140;start=1;size=10;page=search;num=136#view=1up;seq=140}}</ref>

==The thirteen frigates==
[[File:USS HANCOCK, BOSTON and FOX vs. HMS FLORA and RAINBOW (cropped).jpg|thumb|The [[Capture of USS Hancock|capture of USS ''Hancock'']] on 9 July 1779]]

By December 13, 1775, Congress had authorized the construction of 13 new [[frigate]]s, rather than refitting merchantmen to increase the fleet. Five ships ({{USS|Hancock|1776|2}}, {{USS|Raleigh|1776|2}}, {{USS|Randolph|1776|2}}, {{USS|Warren|1776|2}}, and {{USS|Washington|1776 frigate|2}}) were to be rated 32 guns, five ({{USS|Effingham|1777|2}}, {{USS|Montgomery|1776|2}}, {{USS|Providence|1776 frigate|2}}, {{USS|Trumbull|1776|2}}, and {{USS|Virginia|1776|2}}) 28 guns, and three ({{USS|Boston|1777|2}}, {{USS|Congress|1777|2}}, and {{USS|Delaware|1776|2}}) 24 guns. Only eight frigates made it to sea and their effectiveness was limited; they were completely outmatched by the Royal Navy, and nearly all were captured or sunk by 1781.<ref name=Miller19>{{Harvnb|Miller|1997|p=19}}</ref>

''Washington'', ''Effingham'', ''Congress'', and ''Montgomery'' were scuttled or burned in October and November 1777 before going to sea to prevent their capture by the British. {{USS|Virginia|1776|6}}, commanded by Captain [[James Nicholson (naval officer)|James Nicholson]], made a number of unsuccessful attempts to break through the blockade of [[Chesapeake Bay]]. On March 31, 1778, in another attempt, she ran aground near [[Hampton Roads]], where her captain went ashore. Shortly after, {{HMS|Emerald|1762|6}} and {{HMS|Conqueror|1773|2}} appeared on the scene to accept her surrender.

Guarding American commerce and raiding British commerce and supply were the principal duties of the Continental Navy. [[Privateer]]s had some success, with 1,697 [[letter of marque|letters of marque]] being issued by Congress. Individual states, American agents in Europe and in the Caribbean also issued commissions; taking duplications into account more than 2,000 commissions were issued by the various authorities. Lloyd's of London estimated that 2,208 British ships were taken by American privateers, amounting to the equivalent of $66&nbsp;million in modern currency.<ref name=Howarth16>{{Harvnb|Howarth|1999|p=16}}</ref>

Most of the eight frigates that went to sea took multiple prizes and had semi-successful cruises before their captures, however, there were exceptions. On September 27, 1777, {{USS|Delaware|1776|2}} participated in a delaying action on the [[Delaware River]] against the British army pursuing [[George Washington]]'s forces. The ebb tide arrived and left the ''Delaware'' stranded, leading to her capture. {{USS|Warren|1776|2}} was blockaded in [[Providence, Rhode Island]], shortly after her completion, and did not break out of the blockade until March 8, 1778. After a successful cruise under Captain [[John Burroughs Hopkins]], she was assigned to the ill-fated [[Penobscot Expedition]] under Captain [[Dudley Saltonstall]], where she was trapped by the British and burned on August 15, 1779, to prevent her capture. {{USS|Hancock|1776|2}}, captained by [[John Manley (naval officer)|John Manley]], managed to capture two merchantmen as well as the Royal Navy vessel {{HMS|Fox|1773|6}}. Later on July 8, 1777, however, the ''Hancock'' was captured by HMS ''Rainbow'' of a pursuing squadron, and became the British man of war ''Iris''.

{{USS|Randolph|1776|2}} took five prizes in her early cruises. On March 7, 1778, she was escorting a convoy of merchantmen when the British 64-gun ship {{HMS|Yarmouth|1748|6}} bore down on the convoy. ''Randolph'', under the command of Captain [[Nicholas Biddle (naval officer)|Nicholas Biddle]] came to the defense of the merchantmen and engaged the heavily superior foe. In the ensuing engagement, the two ships were both severely manhandled but in the course of the action, the magazine of the ''Randolph'' exploded causing the destruction of the entire vessel and all but four of her crew. The falling debris from the explosion severely damaged the ''Yarmouth'' enough that she could no longer pursue the American ships.

{{USS|Raleigh|1776|2}}, under the command of Captain [[John Barry (naval officer)|John Barry]], captured three prizes before being run aground in action on September 27, 1778. Her crew scuttled her, but she was raised by the British who refloated her for further use in the name of the Crown.

{{USS|Boston|1777|2}}, under the command of Captains [[Hector McNeill]] and [[Samuel Tucker (naval officer)|Samuel Tucker]], had captured 17 prizes in earlier cruises and had carried John Adams to France in February and March 1778. She was captured (along with the frigate {{USS|Providence|1775|2}} which had taken 14 prizes in her own service under Captain [[Abraham Whipple]]) in the fall of [[Charleston, South Carolina]] on May 12, 1780.

The final frigate to meet her end of Continental service was {{USS|Trumbull|1776|2}}. ''Trumbull'', which had not gone to sea until September 1779 under [[James Nicholson (naval officer)|James Nicholson]], had gained acclaim in bloody action against the Letter of Marque ''Watt''. On August 28, 1781, she met HMS ''Iris'' and ''General Monk'' and engaged. In the action, ''Trumbull'' was forced to surrender to the former American naval vessels (the ''General Monk'' was the captured Rhode Island privateer ''General Washington'', itself recaptured in April 1782 and placed in service with the Continental Navy).

==French naval collaboration==
{{More citations needed section|date=April 2023}}
[[File:Cpt John Paul Jones.jpg|left|thumb|[[John Paul Jones]], the Continental Navy's first seaman to be appointed the rank of 1st Lieutenant. Oil painting by George Bagby Matthews, {{Circa|1890}}.]]

Before the [[Franco-American alliance|Franco-American Alliance]], the royalist French government attempted to maintain a state of respectful neutrality during the Revolutionary War. That being said, the nation maintained neutrality at face value, often openly harboring Continental vessels and supplying their needs.

With the presence of American diplomats [[Benjamin Franklin]] and Silas Deane, the Continental Navy gained a permanent link to French affairs. Through Franklin and like-minded agents, Continental officers were afforded the ability to receive commissions and to survey and purchase prospective ships for military use.

Early in the conflict, Captains [[Lambert Wickes]] and [[Gustavus Conyngham]] operated out of various French ports for the purpose of commerce raiding. The French did attempt to enforce their neutrality by seizing {{USS|Dolphin|1777|2}} and {{ship||Surprise|1777 ship|2}} of the Continental Navy. However, with the commencement of the official alliance in 1778, ports were officially open to Continental ships.

The most prominent Continental officer to operate out of France was Captain John Paul Jones. Jones had been preying upon British commerce aboard {{USS|Ranger|1777|2}} but only now saw the opportunity for higher command. The French loaned Jones the merchantman ''Duc de Duras'', which Jones refitted and renamed {{USS|Bonhomme Richard|1765|2}} as a more powerful replacement for the ''Ranger''. In August 1779, Jones was given command of a squadron of vessels of both American and French ownership. The goal was not only to harass British commerce but also to prospectively land 1,500 French regulars in the lightly guarded western regions of Britain. Unfortunately for the ambitious Jones, the French pulled out of the agreement pertaining to an invasion force, but the French did manage to uphold the plan regarding his command of the naval squadron. Sailing in a clockwise fashion around Ireland and down the east coast of Britain, the squadron captured a number of merchantmen. French commander Landais decided early on in the expedition to retain control of the French ships, thereby often leaving and rejoining the effort when he felt that it was fortuitous.

[[File:The action between the Serapis, capt. Pearson, the Countess of Scarborough, and Paul Jones’s Squadron. R.Paton - K325.jpg|thumb|right|The Franco-American squadron closely engages the pair of British frigates on September 23, 1779.]]

On September 23, 1779, Jones' squadron was off [[Flamborough Head]] when the British man-of-war {{HMS|Serapis|1779|6}} and HM [[Hired armed vessels|hired armed ship]] {{ship||Countess of Scarborough|1777 ship|2}} bore down on the Franco-American force. The lone Continental frigate ''Bonhomme Richard'' engaged ''Serapis''. The [[rigging]] of the two ships became entangled during the combat, and several guns of Jones' ship had been taken out of action. The captain of ''Serapis'' asked Jones if he had [[striking the colors|struck his colors]], to which Jones has been quoted as replying, "I have not yet begun to fight!"<ref name=Howarth39>{{Harvnb|Howarth|1999|p=39}}</ref> Upon raking the ''Serapis'', the crew of the ''Bonhomme Richard'' led by Jones boarded the British ship and captured her. Likewise, the French frigate ''Pallas'' captured ''Countess of Scarborough''. Two days later, ''Bonhomme Richard'' sank from the overwhelming amount of damage that she had sustained. The action was an embarrassing defeat for the Royal Navy.<ref name=Howarth39/>

The French also loaned the Continental Navy the use of the corvette {{USS|Ariel|1777|2}}. The one [[ship of the line]] built for service in the Continental Navy was the 74-gun {{USS|America|1782|2}}, but it was offered as a gift to France on September 3, 1782, in compensation for the loss of ''[[French ship Magnifique (1749)|Le Magnifique]]'' in service to the American Revolution.

France officially entered the war on June 17, 1778. Still, the ships that the French sent to the Western Hemisphere spent most of the year in the West Indies and only sailed near the Thirteen Colonies during the Caribbean hurricane season from July until November. The first French fleet attempted landings in New York and Rhode Island, but ultimately failed to engage British forces during 1778.<ref name=Sweetman8>{{Harvnb|Sweetman|2002|p=8}}</ref> In 1779, a fleet commanded by Vice Admiral [[Charles Henri Hector d'Estaing|Charles Henri, comte d'Estaing]] assisted American forces attempting to [[Siege of Savannah|recapture Savannah, Georgia]].<ref name=Sweetman9>{{Harvnb|Sweetman|2002|p=9}}</ref>

In 1780, a fleet with 6,000&nbsp;troops commanded by Lieutenant General [[Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau|Jean-Baptiste, comte de Rochambeau]] landed at Newport, Rhode Island; shortly afterward, the British blockaded the fleet. In early 1781, Washington and de Rochambeau planned an attack against the British in the Chesapeake Bay area to coordinate with the arrival of a large fleet under Vice Admiral [[François Joseph Paul de Grasse|François, comte de Grasse]]. Washington and de Rochambeau marched to Virginia after successfully deceiving the British that an attack was planned in New York, and de Grasse began landing forces near Yorktown, Virginia. On September 5, 1781, de Grasse and the British met in the [[Battle of the Chesapeake|Battle of the Virginia Capes]], which ended with the French fleet in control of Chesapeake Bay. Protected from the sea by the French fleet, American and French forces [[Siege of Yorktown (1781)|surrounded, besieged, and forced the surrender]] of the British forces under [[Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis|Lord Cornwallis]], effectively winning the war and leading to peace two years later.<ref name=Sweetman1112>{{Harvnb|Sweetman|2002|pp=11–12}}</ref>

==Administration==

===Governing bodies===
The [[Second Continental Congress]] created a Naval Committee of three members on Oct. 13, 1775. At the end of the month it was expanded to seven members. By the end of January 1776 three members were not active and the remaining four were appointed members of the Marine Committee created already on Dec. 13, 1775, when Congress decided to build 13 warships. This committee had thirteen members, one from each of the [[United Colonies]], and was authorized to direct the fleet and ships movements by order to naval officers, appoint officers, review the verdicts of naval [[courts-martial]], and build and purchase naval vessels. In September 1776 Congress created the Navy Board of the Middle Department with three members, not members of Congress, and seat in Philadelphia. In April 1777, the Navy Board of the Eastern Department was created for New England with seat in Boston. These boards were subordinate agencies under the Marine Committee and its successors. The Board of Admiralty was created Oct. 28, 1779 and contained two members of Congress and three other commissioners. Its mission was naval planning, the direction of ships and fleets, superintending the marine department, administering the supply of the navy and the settling of accounts. Dec. 8, Congress decided that the Board would take over all matters heretofore taken care of by the Marine Committee. Feb. 7, 1781, Congress decided to create the office of Secretary of Marine replacing the Board of Admiralty. No one was found willing and able to accept that office, so Congress instead created the officer of Agent of Marine Aug. 19, 1781 and on Sept. 7. 1781 made [[Robert Morris (financier)|Robert Morris]] holder of that office while remaining Superintendent of Finance. When Morris resigned as superintendent of finance 1784, Congress did not appoint a successor as Marine Agent and when the [[USS Alliance (1778)|USS Alliance]] was sold in 1785, the naval establishment of the United States ceased to exist without any formal decision.<ref>Wehmann 1989, pp. 265–267.</ref>

The original three members of the Naval Committee were [[Silas Deane]], [[John Langdon (politician)|John Langdon]] and [[Christopher Gadsden]]. The additional four were [[Stephen Hopkins (politician)|Stephen Hopkins]], [[Joseph Hewes]], [[Richard Henry Lee]] and [[John Adams]].<ref>Paulin 1906, p. 38.</ref> The thirteen original members of the Marine Committee were [[Josiah Bartlett]], N.H.; [[John Hancock]], Mass.; Stephen Hopkins, R.I.; Silas Deane, Conn.; [[Francis Lewis]], N.Y.; [[Stephen Crane (Continental Congress)|Stephen Crane]], N.J.; Robert Morris, Pa.; [[George Read (American politician, born 1733)|George Read]], Del.; [[Samuel Chase]], Md.; Richard Henry Lee, Va.; Joseph Hewes, N.C.; Christopher Gadsden, S.C. and [[John Houstoun]], Ga.<ref>Paulin 1906, p. 86.</ref> Original members of the Navy Board of the Middle Department were [[John Nixon (financier)|John Nixon]] (resigned 1778), [[John Wharton (shipbuilder)|John Wharton]] (resigned 1778), and [[Francis Hopkinson]] (resigned 1778). New members were [[William Smith (Maryland politician)|William Smith]] (1778–1778), [[James Searle]] (1778–1778), John Wharton (reappointed 1778–1781), [[James Read (colonel)|James Read]] (1778 only member late in 1781), [[William Winder (captain)|William Winder]] (1778–1781).<ref>Paulin 1906, pp. 96–97, 101, 196, 226.</ref> Members of the Navy Board of the Eastern Department were [[James Warren (politician)|James Warren]] (until 1782), [[William Vernon]] (until 1781) and [[John Deshon]] (until 1781).<ref>Paulin 1906, pp. 98, 196.</ref> Commissioners of the Board of Admiralty were Francis Lewis (from 1779) and [[William Ellery]] (from 1780), no third commissioner was ever appointed. Congressional members were [[James Forbes (statesman)|James Forbes]] (1779–1780), William Ellery (1779–1780), [[James Madison]] (1780–1780), [[Daniel Huntington (Connecticut)|Daniel Huntington]] (1780–1780), [[Whitmill Hill]] (1780–1780), [[Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer]] (only congressional member 1781).<ref>Paulin 1906, pp 191–193.</ref> [[Alexander McDougall]] refused the offer of becoming Secretary of Marine as the Congress did not allow him to retain his rank in the army.<ref>Paulin 1906, p. 218.</ref> Robert Morris was Agent of Marine from 1781 to 1784.<ref>Paulin 1906, pp. 226, 250.</ref>

===Shore establishment===
When the Marine Committee was created in 1775 it appointed Continental agents in [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]], [[Boston]], [[Providence, Rhode Island]], [[New London, Connecticut]], [[New York City]], [[Philadelphia]], [[Baltimore]], [[Williamsburg, Virginia]], [[Edenton]], [[New Bern]] and [[Wilmington, North Carolina|Wilmington]], North Carolina, and [[Charleston, South Carolina]] and [[Savannah, Georgia]]. They administered the building of [[warship]]s in their respective ports and purchased cannons, anchors and sails as well provisions and all other items needed on a ship of war. Doing this they relied on the tradesmen and merchants that had sustained the colonial merchant marines. Established [[ship chandler]]s, [[food|provision merchants]], [[Ship's Agent|ship's agent]]s and other members of the business community put their experience to use by the Continental Navy. Most Continental agents were also in charge of the disposing of [[Prize (law)|prizes]]. When established, the Navy Boards became purveyors and suppliers of ships stationed in Philadelphia and Boston, but the Continental agents continued in these roles in the other ports. The Boards gave orders to the Agents but they often bypassed the Boards and communicated directly with the Marine Committee and later the Board of Admiralty.<ref>Schmitt 1970, pp. 24–26.</ref> The American commissioners in Paris filled the function of an overseas Navy Board They directed ships operations, commissioned officers, recruited crews, as well as purchasing, storing and distributing supply for the ships operating in European waters. When [[Benjamin Franklin]] became [[List of ambassadors of the United States to France|United States Minister to France]], these tasks fell on him personally. He employed naval agents in both France and the Netherlands.<ref>Schmitt 1970, p. 26.</ref>

After 1780, naval administration deteriorated; Agents were dismissed for not submitting accounts, neglecting their assignments and sometimes for outright corruption. Members of the Board of Admiralty, the Navy Boards and Agents surrendered their commissions disgusted with the existing administrative and financial chaos. The accounting system collapsed in 1781. Lack of funds for new ships and heavy ship's losses reduced the Continental Navy to three ships. When Robert Morris became Agent of Marine in 1781 he closed all navy offices except the Eastern Navy Board as they still had USS Alliance and [[USS Deane (1778)|USS Deane]] to outfit. He appointed Naval Agents in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia with the task of auditing and settling accounts.  In June 1783 [[Joseph Pennell (paymaster)|Joseph Pennell]] was appointed Commissioner for Settling the Accounts of the Marine Department with branch offices at Boston, New York City and Philadelphia. Morris resigned as Marine Agent in 1784 and the Commissioner was transferred to the [[United States Department of the Treasury|Department of the Treasury]] in 1785.<ref>Schmitt 1970, pp. 27–28.</ref>

===Operating forces===
When late in 1775, [[Esek Hopkins]] was commissioned [[Commander-in-Chief|Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet of the United Colonies]] he was put in charge of receiving monthly reports of the strength, supply situation and the state of each ship of war, and forwarding them to Congress. It was his duty to issue orders and instructions necessary for the good of the service and to develop a good leadership culture in the Navy. The captain of each ship was responsible for its administration; [[muster rolls]] and accounts of provisions and other stores were kept under his responsibility. Change of command required a thorough inventory of ship's stores, provisions and equipage and then the ongoing commander had to sign for it. [[Purser]]s were civilian officers in civilian clothes who had learned their job as [[supercargo]]es in the colonial merchant marines. There were very few pursers serving in the Continental Navy as it was more profitable for competent persons to take employment with the large number of [[privateer]]s outfitted during the war. The administrative functions aboard a Continental man of war was instead fulfilled by [[petty officer]]s: [[captain's clerk]]s and [[Seafarer's professions and ranks#Steward's department|stewards]]. Ship's provisions were drawn from Continental Agents or Navy Boards, and transfers took place between ships and even with Continental Army units as necessity required.<ref>Schmitt 1970, p. 29.</ref>

==End of the Continental Navy==
[[File:Continental Frigate ALLIANCE.jpg|thumb|alt=A painting of a three masted ship, its sails full of wind|''Alliance'' at sail.<ref name=DANFSAlliance>{{Cite web|title=USS Alliance (1778)|publisher=United States Navy|work=Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships|url=http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a7/alliance-i.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040228111936/http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/a7/alliance-i.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 28, 2004|access-date=November 23, 2009}}</ref>]]

Of the approximately 65 vessels (new, converted, chartered, loaned, and captured) that served at one time or another with the Continental Navy, only 11 survived the war. The [[Treaty of Paris (1783)|Treaty of Paris]] in 1783 ended the Revolutionary War and, by 1785, Congress had disbanded the Continental Navy and sold the remaining ships.

The frigate {{USS|Alliance|1778|2}} fired the final shots of the American Revolutionary War; it was also the last ship in the Navy. A faction within Congress wanted to keep her, but the new nation did not have the funds to keep her in service, and she was auctioned off for $26,000. Factors leading to the dissolution of the Navy included a general lack of money, the loose confederation of the states, a change of goals from war to peace, and more domestic and fewer foreign interests.<ref name=Miller3435>{{Harvnb|Miller|1997|pp=33–35}}</ref>

==Continental Navy uniforms==
[[File:Continental Navy, 1776-1777.jpg|thumb|The official Navy officer uniform of 1776 had red lapels and a red [[waistcoat]]. The unofficial uniform of 1777, worn by many officers, had white lapels and a white waistcoat, and in addition non-regulation [[Epaulette|epaulets]].<ref>Perrenot 2010, p. 4.</ref> '''From left to right:''' Lieutenant, Captain (with irregular red buttonhole on the collar), Midshipman, "Commodore" John Paul Jones (with two epaulets).<ref name=Barron>McBarron 1966, n.p.</ref>]]

The Marine Committee issued a uniform instruction on Sept. 5, 1776, with the following specifications:<ref name=Barron/>
* Captains, blue cloth, with red lapels, slash cuff, stand-up collar, flat yellow buttons, blue breeches and red waistcoat with narrow lace
* Lieutenants, blue cloth, with red lapels, round cuff faced with red, stand-up collar, flat yellow buttons, blue breeches and red waistcoat, plain.
* Masters, blue cloth with lapels, round cuff, blue breeches and red waistcoat.
* Midshipmen, blue cloth with lapels, round cuff faced with red, stand-up collar red at the button and buttonhole, blue breeches and red waistcoat.

No instructions were issued for the dress of petty officers and seamen. The paucity of fabric at this time made it necessary for the officers to dress in what was available they would not always be dressed according to instructions. Besides, many naval officers did not really like the uniforms prescribed and a group of them met in Boston in 1777 and agreed on a new uniform. The dress selected looked very much like a Royal Navy uniform. The agreement contained the following particulars:<ref name=Barron/>
* Captains, blue cloth lined and faced with white and trimmed with gold lace with an epaulet on the right shoulder, blue cloth lined and faced with white and trimmed with gold lace with an epaulet on the right shoulder, white waistcoat and white breeches.
* Lieutenants, blue cloth lined and faced with white, no trim and without epaulet, blue cloth lined and faced with white and trimmed with gold lace with an epaulet on the right shoulder, white waistcoat and white breeches.
* Masters and midshipmen, blue cloth lined with white, no lapels, white waistcoat and white breeches.

<gallery>

Jean-François de Galaup de La Pérouse jeune (cropped).jpg|Lieutenant in the Royal French Navy (full dress)
Lieutenant with Cutter 1777.jpg|Lieutenant in the Royal Navy

</gallery>

==Continental Navy pay==
Pay table in dollars per [[calendar month]], adopted by the Continental Congress, Nov. 15, 1775.<ref name=Smith>Smith 1975, p. 82.</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
! align="left" width="400" | Rank or rate
! align="left" width="100" | Ships of 20 guns and upwards
! align="left" width="100" | Ships of 10–20 guns
! align="left" width="100" | Vessels under 10 guns commanded by lieutenants
! align="left" width="100" | Marines
|-
| Captain || 60  || 48 || n/a ||  n/a
|-
| Lieutenant, [[Lieutenant Commander|Lieutenant Commanding]], Captain of Marines || 30 || 24 || 30 || 30
|-
| [[Master (naval)|Master]] || 30 || 24 ||n/a || n/a
|-
| [[Naval surgeon|Surgeon]] || 25 || 21 2/3 ||n/a || n/a
|-
| [[United States military chaplains#History|Chaplain]], Lieutenant of Marines  ||20 || n/a || n/a || 20
|-
| [[Master's Mate]] ||  15 || 15 ||15 || n/a
|-
| [[Surgeon's Mate]] ||  15 || 13 ||13 || n/a
|-
| [[Boatswain]], Gunner, [[Ship's carpenter|Carpenter]] ||  15 || 13 ||12 || n/a
|-
| [[Captain's Clerk]] ||  15 || 12 ||12 || n/a
|-
| [[Midshipman]] ||  12 || 12 ||12 || n/a
|-
| [[Sailmaker]], [[Seafarer's professions and ranks#Steward's department|Steward]] ||  10 || 10 ||10 || n/a
|-
| [[Master-at-arms]] ||  10 || 9 ||9 || n/a
|-
|Carpenter's Mate, Yeoman of the Powderroom  ||  9½ || 9 ||9 || n/a
|-
|[[Cooper (profession)|Cooper]], [[Armorer]], [[Coxswain]]||  9 || 9 ||9 || n/a
|-
|[[Quartermaster#U.S. Navy|Quartermaster]], [[Chef|Cook]] ||  9 || 8½ ||8½ || n/a
|-
| [[Yeoman (United States Navy)|Yeoman]] ||  8½ || 8½ ||8½ || n/a
|-
| Sailmaker's Mate ||  8 1/3 ||  8 1/3 || 8 1/3 || n/a
|-
| [[Seaman (rank)|Seaman]], Sergeant of Marines ||  8 || 8 ||8 || 8
|-
| Corporal of Marines, Drum and fifes ||  n/a || n/a|| n/a || 7 1/3
|-
| Private of Marines ||  n/a || n/a|| n/a || 6 2/3
|-
|}

At the same time the pay table was adopted, Congress resolved how the rank of the Naval officers be to the rank of officers in the Land Forces: commodore as brigadier general, captain of a ship of 40 guns and upwards as colonel, captain of a ship of 20 to 40 guns as lieutenant colonel, captain of a ship of 10 to 20 guns as major, lieutenant in the Navy as captain.<ref name=Smith/>

==See also==
* [[Naval battles of the American Revolutionary War]]
* [[Quasi-War|Quasi War]]
* [[United States Navy]]
* [[Bibliography of early United States naval history|Bibliography of early American naval history]]
* [[List of American Revolutionary War battles]]
* [[List of George Washington articles]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{DANFS}}
* William M. Fowler, ''Rebels Under Sail'' (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1976)
* {{Cite book|last=Howarth|first=Stephen|title=To Shining Sea: a History of the United States Navy, 1775–1998|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Norman, OK|year=1999|isbn=0-8061-3026-1|oclc=40200083|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/toshiningseahist00howa_0}}
* McBarron, H. Charles (1966). ''Uniforms of the United States Navy, 1776–1898.'' Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of the Navy
* {{Cite book|last=Miller|first=Nathan|title=The U.S. Navy: A History|publisher=Naval Institute Press|location=Annapolis, MD|year=1997|edition=3rd|isbn=1-55750-595-0|oclc=37211290|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/usnavyhistory00mill}}
* Paulin, Charles O. (1906). ''The Navy of the American Revolution.'' Chicago.
* Perrenot, Preston B. (2010). ''United States Navy Grade Insignia 1776–1852.'' CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
* Schmitt, Frederick P. (1970). "Supplying the Continental Navy." ''Navy Supply Corps Newsletter'' 33(2): 22–33.
* Smith, Charles R. (1975). ''Marines in the Revolution.'' Washington, D.C., Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps
* {{Cite book|last=Sondhaus|first=Lawrence|title=Naval Warfare 1815–1914|location=London|publisher=Routledge|year=2001|isbn=0-415-21478-5|oclc=44039349}}
* {{cite book|last=Sweetman|first=Jack|title=American Naval History: An Illustrated Chronology of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775–present|location=Annapolis, MD|publisher=Naval Institute Press|year=2002|isbn=1-55750-867-4}}
* Wehmann, Howard H. (1989) ''A guide to pre-federal records in the National Archives.'' National Archives and Records Administration.
;Further reading
* {{cite book |editor1-first= William Bell |editor1-last=Clark   |title=Naval Documents Of The American Revolution, Volume 1 (Dec. 1774 – Sept. 1775) |publisher=Washington D.C., U.S. Navy Department |year=1964 |url=https://archive.org/details/NavalDocumentsOfTheAmericanRevolutionVolume1/page/n3}}

{{Refend}}

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{{American Revolutionary War|state=collapsed}}
{{John Adams}}

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[[Category:Continental Navy| ]]
[[Category:Military history of the United States]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 1775]]
[[Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1785]]