Reserve, Navy

Early History

According to the official account of the history and mission of the U.S. Navy Reserve, the roots of the U.S. Naval Reserve can be traced to the use of privateers during the American Revolution. Specifically, the Naval Reserve is said to have begun on June 12, 1775, when the citizens of Machias, Maine, seized the schooner Unity and utilized it to engage the British warship HMS Margaretta. Building on this early victory, the American Revolutionaries continued to use privateering against Great Britain. In the end, this form of naval warfare represented a principal means used by Americans to achieve independence. Even ...