The Navy and Marine Corps at 250: A Look to the Future as the Sea Services Celebrate Their Quarter Millennial Anniversary
11/10/2025
By Stew Magnuson
On Oct. 13, 1775, the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia established the Continental Navy, which later became the U.S. Navy.
The new service did not engage in shipbuilding at first. Instead, it chose a merchant boat named the Black Prince found in the Philadelphia port, outfitted it with guns and rechristened it the USS Alfred.
A year later, the Navy opened its first shipyard in Philadelphia on the Delaware River.
The Marine Corps followed the Navy less than a month later. John Adams drafted the idea for the service, with the Second Continental Congress establishing the Continental Marines on Nov. 10, 1775, calling for two battalions to be raised.
https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2025/11/10/the-navy-and-marine-corps-at-250
