American Revolution Naval Warfare

American Revolution Overview

• Lasted from 1775 to 1783
• Illustration depicts the battle between the Continental Navy ship Bonhomme Richard and HMS Serapis on Sept 23, 1779
• The original painting is by Thomas Mitchell

Naval Forces Before the Revolution

• Original 13 colonies primarily had merchant vessels engaged in trade
• Colonists had experience with the sea and warfare due to British naval expeditions against Cartagena, Spain, and Nova Scotia during the war with France from 1754-1763

Continental Navy Formation

• Continental Congress authorized the Continental Navy on October 13, 1775
• U.S. Marine Corps established on November 10
• By 1776, the colonies had 27 warships, while the Royal British Navy had approximately 270
• American commanders faced challenges with untrained sailors and marines with lack of discipline

Early Successes of the Continental Navy

• Esek Hopkins' fleet attacked a British colony in the Bahamas on February 17, 1776
• Captured guns, ammunition, and the governor with his lieutenant which marked the first amphibious assault
• Two British vessels were also seized
• Captains Lambert Wickes, Gustavus Conyngham, and John Barry achieved successes like John Paul Jones
• Jones, as captain of Ranger, captured British man-of-war Drake
• Jones defeated British frigate Serapis as captain of Bonhomme Richard

Impact of American Privateers

• American privateers significantly damaged British shipping
• Over 2,000 privately armed vessels were used, carrying over 18,000 guns and manned by around 70,000 men
• State navies and Continental Navy ships put naval pressure on the British
• By the end of 1777, American ships had captured over 500 British vessels, rising to about 1,500 by the war's end
• Over 12,000 British sailors were taken as prisoners of war
• British marine insurance rates increased, and coastal populations feared American and allied invasions
• By 1781, British merchants sought an end to hostilities

Key Naval Actions

• Most naval actions occurred on the open sea
• Benedict Arnold's battles on Lake Champlain on October 11, 1776, and off Split Rock, New York, were exceptions
• Arnold's fleet construction delayed the British attack on Fort Ticonderoga
• This delay impacted the British campaign leading to the 1777 Battle of Saratoga

Foreign Involvement

• France and Spain entered the war in 1779, followed by the Netherlands in 1780
• The Spanish and Dutch tied down British naval forces in Europe due to insufficient British vessels to blockade American ports
• The British capacity was stretched to the coasts of Europe, the Caribbean, and colonies in southeast and south Asia

French Support

• A French squadron landed General Marshal Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau’s army in Newport, Rhode Island
• Admiral François-Joseph-Paul de Grasse sailed for the American colonies
• Admiral Samuel Hood was dispatched north to counter De Grasse

Battle of Virginia Capes

• On September 5, 1781, the Battle of Virginia Capes (Battle of the Chesapeake) occurred
• This battle prevented the Royal Navy from reinforcing or evacuating British forces at Yorktown, Virginia
• French control of the sea lanes allowed them to supply Washington which led to the defeat of British forces under General Lord Charles Cornwallis

Securing Independence

• The American victory at Yorktown secured independence for the Colonies
• Preliminary peace articles were signed on November 30, 1782
• The Peace of Paris (September 3, 1783) officially ended the American Revolution, where Great Britain recognized the U.S. independence

Naval Documents Series

• Naval History and Heritage Command presents the first 13 volumes containing diaries, petitions, ship logs, muster rolls, orders, official reports, and newspaper accounts
• The collection includes American, British, French, and Spanish perspectives from civilians, women, slaves, policymakers, and officers
• The first volume was published in 1964 with a foreword by President John F. Kennedy

Overview of the Naval battles in the American Revolution. Covers the Continental Navy's origins, challenges, and early successes against the British Royal Navy. Highlights the establishment of the U.S. Marine Corps and key naval engagements.