First ship of the Continental Navy: The 24-gun frigate Alfred (center), formerly the merchantman Black Prince, is placed in commission at Philadelphia on 3 December 1775. Raising the Grand Union flag to mark the occasion is a certain lieutenant named John Paul Jones.

Birth of a Navy

By Lieutenant Commander Thomas J. Cutler, U.S. Navy (Retired)
October 2025
October 1775: The Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, after much deliberation, authorizes the creation of a critical element for the Revolutionary struggle: a fighting fleet.

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