usni.org/magazines/nava… Before the U.S. Navy was reestablished in 1794, ten small revenue cutters served as America’s only federal armed force at sea.
Authorized on 4 August 1790 as the US Revenue Cutter Service, these vessels patrolled the coasts, enforced customs laws, protected maritime commerce, and laid the foundation for today’s U.S. Coast Guard. More than two centuries later, the service remains true to the mission Alexander Hamilton envisioned: armed vessels “judiciously stationed” to protect the nation and its waters. The US Coast Guard plays a major role in this nation's defense.
