The Continental Navy was established on October 13, 1775, a date commemorated as the U.S. Navy’s birthday and part of the broader 250th-anniversary period. The Second Continental Congress authorized two armed vessels to cruise against British supply ships.
The new naval force operated during the American Revolutionary War. It captured or disrupted British shipping, transported troops and supplies, and supported the colonial war effort, although it was much smaller than the Royal Navy.
The Continental Navy was disbanded after the war. The modern United States Navy was created by Congress in 1794, when the government authorized the construction of six frigates. The Navy nevertheless traces its institutional heritage to the 1775 congressional authorization.
This date is easy to confuse with other service anniversaries: the Continental Army began on June 14, 1775, and the Continental Marines were created on November 10, 1775.