On December 22, 1775, the first Continental Navy was created by the Continental Congress. The first four vessels of the fleet included the Alfred, Andrew Doria, Cabot, and Columbus.

The first commander-in-chief of the Continental Navy was Esek Hopkins. At the outset of his tenure as commander-in-chief, Esek Hopkins was given the task of assessing the viability of attacking Great Britain’s navy at Chesapeake Bay, just off the coast of Rhode Island. After making the determination that such a task was impossible, he sailed to the Bahamas—specifically Nassau. Nassau was a British port, and Esek believed that the Continental Navy could successfully attack the British naval forces at that specific port. Although Esek achieved victory, the attack was far from where the Continental Congress directed him to go.

Upon returning to America, Esek Hopkins was met with great controversy regarding his decision to attack the British naval forces in the Bahamas. In fact, in 1777, he was relieved as commander-in-chief of the Continental Navy. Shortly thereafter, he was discharged from the service altogether.