REESTABLISHMENT OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS

Reestablishment of the United States Marine Corps

When Congress passed legislation on July 11th, 1798 to create a Marine Corps under the Department of the Navy, it gave the new republic a permanent naval infantry force. The Continental Marines of the Revolution had been disbanded after the war, but the growing threat of conflict at sea with European powers pushed leaders to rebuild that capability. The act provided for Marines to serve aboard warships as guards, boarding parties, and landing forces, linking them tightly to the nation’s emerging blue-water navy. This legal foundation came during the Quasi-War with France, when American commerce and seamen needed protection across the Atlantic. Over time, the Marine Corps would grow into an expeditionary force with a reputation for hard fighting from Tripoli to the Pacific. Yet the roots of that story lie in this summer day in 1798, when legislators decided the young United States needed Marines as a standing part of its sea power.