Congress Passes Naval Act and Creates First Naval Force (1794)
On March 27, 1794, Congress passed the Act to Provide a Naval Armament (1 Stat. 350), also known as the Naval Act, which established the United States’ first permanent naval force and eventually led to the creation of the U.S. Navy.
After the Revolutionary War, the newly formed United States was in desperate need for money. Because of the US’s financial crisis Congress ended operations of its Continental Navy that formed in 1775.
However, during the early 1790s, US ships were often harassed and ransacked by pirates and French and British ships. Congress knew it had to do something to combat the problems on the seas, but it didn’t have much money.
In January 1794, the House of Representatives passed a bill to provide for the construction of four ships. However, many Congressmen fought against the bill because of the costs involved to build and maintain the ships. So, nothing was done at that time.
Then, on March 27, 1794, a group of Congressmen pushed through the passage of the Naval Act of 1794, also known as the Naval Act, to create the first permanent naval force. Later that month, the US government authorized the construction of six vessels. And around three years later, the first three US frigates, the USS United States, USS Constellation, and USS Constitution went into service.
The U.S. Navy remained fairly small until the end of World War I, as Britain dominated most of the seas. But World War II changed everything. The U.S. Navy was forced to grow very quickly in order to wage war in both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. By the end of World War II, the US emerged as the world’s most powerful naval force, a title which it has not relinquished.
Today, the United States Navy is the largest navy in the world. Its battle fleet tonnage is greater than the next thirteen largest navies in the world combined! As of 2008, the US Navy is comprised of close to half a million personnel in active and reserve status. The U.S. Navy operates close to 300 ships with around 4,000 aircraft. The U.S. Navy also has the world's largest carrier fleet, with 11 in service and one under construction.
(If you haven’t seen a U.S. carrier, take a trip to the US naval base in Norfolk, Virginia. Carriers are the biggest ships on the ocean and their magnitude cannot be described in words or pictures – you have to see them for yourself!)
NOTE: The U.S. Navy celebrates October 13, 1775 as its birthday – the birth of the U.S. Continental Navy.
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