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Abstract

Before there was the United States Navy, there existed a small, comparatively ramshackle force that faced off against the most powerful fighting force of its time. This force was known as the Continental Navy, and it played an important but often overlooked role in our nation’s founding. Authorized by the Continental Congress in 1775, the navy emerged not from a coherent maritime doctrine but from immediate strategic necessity. The Royal Navy was the largest and most powerful fleet in the world while the thirteen colonies had no warships to speak of. As a maritime trade nation, access to the seas was of vital importance. The Continental Navy would attempt to keep the flow of goods moving including much needed munitions and arms by conducting convoy escort and blockade running duties. Privateers and those holding letters of marque would take the fight to the British by directly attacking their trade and tying up valuable warships. However, this scratch force would continually be hampered by shortages of men and material, administrative fragmentation, and congested civilian authority. Nevertheless, several high profile operations such as the raid on Nassau or the voyages of John Paul Jones would deeply influence the outcome of the war. This presentation aims to uncover the vital but often forgotten contributions of the naval war to the outcome of the revolutionary war by looking at three operations: the raid of Nassau, the battles at Ticonderoga, and the voyages of Captain Wickes. Through these operations, critical war material was acquired, vital flanks were secured, and enemy trade was disrupted. All of which were important in securing the outcome of the Revolutionary War and laying the foundation for the United States Navy.

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