Reference Entry
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD CREATED
On January 28th, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation merging the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life-Saving Service into a single organization: the United States Coast Guard. The revenue cutters had long chased smugglers, enforced customs laws, and supported naval operations, while life-saving crews manned small stations along dangerous coasts, ready to pull shipwrecked sailors from the surf.
Dated Historical Context
A RECORDED MOMENT IN HISTORY
United States Coast Guard created
On January 28th, 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation merging the Revenue Cutter Service and the Life-Saving Service into a single organization: the United States Coast Guard. The revenue cutters had long chased smugglers, enforced customs laws, and supported naval operations, while life-saving crews manned small stations along dangerous coasts, ready to pull shipwrecked sailors from the surf. The new service combined law enforcement, rescue, and military readiness under one banner, with officers and crews trained to operate in peacetime and wartime alike. During major conflicts, the Coast Guard could be placed under the Navy, bringing valuable experience in patrol, convoy escort, and coastal defense. The 1915 act therefore did more than tidy up bureaucratic charts. It recognized that a modern maritime power needed a permanent, uniformed service devoted to safety, security, and disciplined seamanship in all conditions along American shores.
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