History of the United States Navy

Common card · No. 292070

The history of the United States Navy divides into two major periods: the "Old Navy", a small but respected force of sailing ships that became notable for innovation in the use of ironclads during the American Civil War, and the "New Navy" the result of a modernization effort that began in the 1880s and made it the largest in the world by 1943. The United States Navy claims October 13, 1775 as the date of its official establishment, when the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution creating the Continental Navy. With the end of the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Navy was disbanded. Under the Presidency of George Washington, American merchant shipping came under threat from Barbary corsairs, especially after Algerian seizures of American vessels. This led to the Naval Act of 1794, which authorized the original six frigates and reestablished a permanent U.S. Navy.. The original six frigates were authorized as part of the Act. Over the next 20 years, the Navy fought the...

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