Op-Ed: the Merchant Marine, America’s fourth arm of defense
By: Salvatore R. Mercogliano  
On Oct. 13, 1775 — nearly nine months before the nation declared its independence from the British Empire — the Second Continental Congress authorized the creation of the Continental Navy.
Plans called for the construction of 13 frigates by shipbuilders scattered around the colonies, but constructing warships from scratch would take time.
To provide an immediate force, Congress merely had to look at the commercial docks in Philadelphia to find vessels and men suitable for transforming into warships and sailors.
https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2019/05/14/op-ed-the-merchant-marine-americas-fourth-arm-of-defense/
