A US Coast Guard vessel docked in Costa Rica in February 2025. Although the Coast Guard was formally founded in 1915, it has a history dating back to 1790 as the “Revenue Cutter Service.” (Wikimedia Commons/Gordon Leggett)

The History of the United States Coast Guard: A Story That Must Be Told

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Though the Coast Guard is often overshadowed by the other service branches, it has an admirable history of its own—soon to be told in a new museum in Connecticut.

Last June marked the official 250th birthday of the United States Army, which included a parade in the nation’s capital in June 2025. The Army’s big day was shortly followed by similar celebrations for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps last fall.

The United States Coast Guard is a relative latecomer to the party, as it was ostensibly founded on August 4, 1790. On that date, President George Washington authorized 10 cutters to stop smuggling and to collect taxes, with the Revenue Cutter Service operating as part of the Department of the Treasury.

In that regard, the US Coast Guard actually predated the modern United States Navy, which was only created in 1794 after Congress authorized the building of six frigates to protect US shipping around the world. Incidentally, one of those six warships, the USS Constitution, has the distinction of being the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world........

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