United States Navy

The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States

History of the Navy

Main article: History of the United States Navy

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The Continental Navy was established in Philadelphia by the Continental Congress on October 13, 1775, which authorized the procurement, fitting out, manning, and dispatch of two armed vessels to search for munitions ships supplying the British Army in America. The legislation also established a Naval Committee to supervise the work. The Continental Navy operated some 50 ships over the course of the American Revolutionary War, but no more than about 20 at one time. After the war, Congress sold the surviving ships and released the seamen and officers.

Related Topics:
Continental Navy - Philadelphia - Continental Congress - October 13 - 1775 - British Army - American Revolutionary War

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Congress ordered the construction and manning of six frigates on March 27, 1794, and three years later welcomed into service the first three: USS United States, Constellation and Constitution. The frigates became famous in the War of 1812, where they unexpectedly defeated British Royal Navy forces several times.

Related Topics:
March 27 - 1794 - USS ''United States'' - ''Constellation'' - ''Constitution'' - War of 1812 - Royal Navy

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During the American Civil War, the Navy was an innovator in the use of ironclad warships, but after the war slipped into obsolescence. A modernization program beginning in the 1880s brought the U.S. into the first rank of the world's navies by the beginning of the 20th century.

Related Topics:
American Civil War - Ironclad warship - 1880s - 20th century

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The Navy saw little action during World War I, but grew into a formidable force in the years before World War II. Japan unsuccessfully attempted to allay this strategic threat with a late-1941 surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. During the next three years, the U.S. Navy grew into the most powerful in the world.

Related Topics:
World War I - World War II - Japan - 1941 - Attack on Pearl Harbor

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It is widely accepted that currently the United States Navy is the most powerful Navy in the world.

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