Even before there was the American Navy we know today, another maritime force helped America defeat King George III’s navy and give birth to a new nation.
That force was what we now call the U.S. Merchant Marine.
History has overlooked the role of civilian mariners in our nation's many wars. Still, as we celebrate America's 244th birthday, it is worth remembering that we might well have lost our fight for independence without these brave men who stared down the world’s most dominant navy.
In the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, America’s 13 Colonies maintained a small flotilla of 31 ships, known as the Continental Navy. Lacking a true naval force, military leaders issued Letters of Marque to fully armed, privately-owned commercial vessels to authorize them to serve as warships to attack British naval and maritime assets. Long-experienced in fighting off pirates, these mariners were battle-tested.
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