Continental MarinesEdit
The Continental Marines were the marine corps formed under the auspices of the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Created by the Continental Congress in 1775, they served as a small, highly mobile expeditionary force aboard naval vessels and ashore, conducting boarding actions, siege operations, and coastal skirmishes in support of America’s effort to win independence. Though their formal existence as a distinct force ended with the war, their lineage would be claimed by the modern United States Marine Corps, which preserved many of the doctrines, traditions, and esprit de corps that emerged from these earliest deployments.
In the early republic, the emphasis on naval power and disciplined, professional force structure reflected a belief that liberty and prosperity depend on credible sea control and the ability to project force overseas. The Continental Marines embodied that philosophy at a moment when the United States was still negotiating its place in the world. Their experiences helped establish the idea that a capable naval infantry force could supplement a navy’s shipboard fighting power and serve as a rapid-response arm for homeland defense and power projection abroad.
Origins
The Continental Marines trace their origin to a resolution of the Continental Congress on November 10, 1775, which authorized the creation of a marine corps to serve with the newly formed Continental Navy.Samuel Nicholas is traditionally cited as the first commandant, leading a small contingent that would become the nascent corps. From the outset, the mission of the Marines was to fight aboard ships, protect sailors, and execute amphibious operations when necessary. The corps gained its first combat experience during operations on and near British-held positions, including actions in the Nassau area, where Marines participated in assaults to enforce naval strategy and disrupt British communications and supply lines. Over the course of the war, the Continental Marines operated as an integral element of the naval war effort, pairing naval power with a disciplined, infantry-focused capability.
The organization existed within the broader framework of the Continental Navy, a maritime force that sought to contest British naval supremacy and secure trade routes for a new republic. The Marines’ early duties encompassed shipboard security, small-boat operations, and landing parties that could seize fortifications or harbors when naval power required a land component. This fusion of naval and infantry functions laid the groundwork for a distinct marine tradition that would later be codified as the United States Marine Corps.
Organization, doctrine, and practice
Operating under the authority of the Continental Navy, the Marines were a small, professional force designed for rapid deployment and flexible employment. They emphasized discipline, marksmanship, seamanship, and the ability to operate in boarding actions and coastal assaults. The Marine mission was to augment naval power, protect shipboard personnel, and execute expeditions that required swift, decisive action ashore. This emphasis on expeditionary capability—combining naval mobility with ground combat skill—would become a defining feature of the later United States Marine Corps.
The Continental Marines were not a large standing army; rather, they were a specialized force that could be deployed with fleets and used to seize, secure, or defend coastal positions and harbors. Their daily routines combined naval discipline with infantry drill, small-unit operations, and the adaptability demanded by ship-to-shore warfare. The experience gained during these operations helped shape the American approach to maritime warfare, emphasizing versatility, leadership, and the importance of professional training in fully leveraging a naval force’s reach.
The eventual transition from a wartime contingent to a peacetime corps would hinge on lessons learned about organization, command, and the balance between civilian oversight and military capability. The Continental Marines thus contributed to a growing conviction that a dedicated, professionally trained force within the Navy could provide a credible and credible deterrent, maintain order at sea, and execute complex operations more effectively than ad hoc units drawn from state militias.
Campaigns and engagements
The Marines’ activities in the Revolutionary War included shipboard defense and shore-based assaults conducted in the context of naval operations against Britain. The Nassau Expedition of 1776 stands as one of the clearest early examples of their amphibious role, where Marine detachments fought alongside sailors to seize and neutralize British positions on New Providence and nearby targets. Beyond Nassau, Marines participated in numerous boarding actions, coastal garrisons, and expeditionary missions that showcased the value of combining naval power with infantry capability. These engagements demonstrated the practical utility of a small, mobile force capable of operating step-for-step with the fleet.
The experiential record of the Continental Marines contributed to the broader naval strategy of the era: project force from the sea, disrupt enemy supply lines, and seize opportunities for coastal and harbor warfare when land campaigns were impractical. While the war featured larger armies and decisive battles, the Marines’ role highlighted the importance of a flexible force that could operate in austere conditions, adapt to changing tactical situations, and reinforce naval objectives with disciplined land combat.
Legacy and the birth of a permanent corps
The Revolutionary War ended with a reordering of American military institutions. The Continental Navy and its Marines were disbanded in the aftermath, but the strategic logic they illustrated—merging naval power with an expeditionary infantry capability—continued to influence American defense thinking. In 1798, the United States reconstituted a Marine Corps within the Department of the Navy, recognizing that a permanent, professional naval infantry would be essential for sea control, power projection, and rapid response to threats abroad. The modern U.S. Marine Corps thus inherits its lineage from the Continental Marines, adopting extended traditions, training standards, and a mission set focused on expeditionary warfare and sea power.
The Corps’ enduring identity was reinforced by the adoption of symbolic mottos and practices that emphasize resilience, fidelity, and readiness. The phrase Semper Fidelis captured a core ethos of loyalty and steadfastness that would come to symbolize the Marines’ approach to duty in all theaters. Over time, the Marines developed specialized capabilities in amphibious assault, reconnaissance, rapid response, and combined-arms operations—an evolution rooted in the earliest experiences of the Continental Marines and their naval partners.
Controversies and debates
From the outset, discussions about a standing expeditionary force like the Marines reflected larger questions about national security, civilian oversight, and the proper balance between state power and federal strength. Supporters argued that a small, professional naval infantry was essential for protecting commerce, securing sea lanes, and delivering force quickly where larger armies could not reach. They contended that a credible maritime force deterred adversaries and provided a flexible tool for protecting the young republic’s interests on the global stage.
Critics in the late 18th century, and later in American political discourse, questioned the necessity and scope of standing forces, fearing that a permanent military establishment could threaten republican liberty or become a tool of factional power. Proponents responded by stressing the unique demands of naval warfare and the importance of a disciplined, trained corps that could operate effectively with minimal political interference. The debate about a robust maritime force continues in different forms today, with advocates arguing that a capable Navy and Marine Corps are prerequisites for strategic deterrence and global competitiveness, while critics call for limits on military budgets or a greater reliance on civilian and state resources.
In contemporary discussions, some critics from the political left have argued that the founding era’s military institutions reflected a broader project of imperial ambition or colonial power. A conservative or traditionalist reading argues that the core purpose of the Continental Marines—protecting sailors, enforcing naval strategies, and projecting power from the sea—was consistent with founding-era priorities: preserving independence, securing commerce, and maintaining national sovereignty. Rebuttals to modern criticisms emphasize historical context, the essential aims of national defense, and the long-run practicality of having a disciplined, capable expeditionary force as a cornerstone of a sovereign state. In this view, contemporary criticisms that attempt to demean or erase the Marine Corps’ historical role fail to recognize the strategic logic of maritime power and the enduring need for a professional, capable force rather than relying solely on civilian or militia-based solutions.