SCOTT #794 NAVAL ACADEMY 5 CENT

 

Decades after America’s first ships took to the oceans to defend its interests, the US Naval Academy opened on October 10, 1845.  It’s the second-oldest of the United States’ five service academies.

The US Navy was born during the American Revolution when the need for a naval force to stand up against the Royal Navy became clear.  In 1783, Revolutionary naval hero John Paul Jones first suggested that America establish a school to train seamen.  But after the war ended, the Navy was demobilized to save money.

US #794 U.S. Naval Academy Stamp

In 1794, George Washington convinced Congress to create a new navy to face the rising threat of pirates.  Decades later, President John Quincy Adams asked Congress to create a Naval Academy.