November 10, 1775.
Every Marine knows the date.
It is celebrated each year with the Marine Corps Birthday Ball, the cutting of the birthday cake, and the reading of General John A. Lejeune's Birthday Message.
But while every Marine remembers November 10, 1775, fewer know exactly what happened on that historic day—or why the Marine Corps was created in the first place.
The story begins not in a tavern, but in the halls of the Continental Congress.
America Needed a Fighting Force
By the fall of 1775, the American Revolution was underway.
The battles of Lexington and Concord had already been fought. George Washington had taken command of the Continental Army, but the colonies faced a serious problem.
Great Britain controlled the sea.
The Royal Navy possessed the most powerful fleet in the world, allowing Britain to transport troops, protect supply lines, and blockade colonial ports almost at will.
If the colonies hoped to survive, they needed a naval force capable of challenging British operations.
Congress authorized the creation of the Continental Navy.
But ships alone could not accomplish every mission.
Warships needed disciplined fighting men capable of serving both at sea and ashore.
November 10, 1775
On November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress adopted a resolution that would establish the first American Marines.
The resolution read:
"Resolved, That two Battalions of Marines be raised..."
Those eleven words officially created what would eventually become the United States Marine Corps.
The Marines were organized to serve alongside the Continental Navy.
Their responsibilities included:
-
Fighting aboard naval vessels
-
Conducting boarding operations
-
Guarding officers and prisoners
-
Providing shipboard security
-
Serving as expert marksmen from the fighting tops
-
Conducting amphibious raids and expeditions ashore
From the very beginning, Marines were designed to fight wherever the mission required.
November 10, 1775: The Resolution That Created the Marines
On Friday, November 10, 1775, the Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia and adopted the resolution now recognized as the birth certificate of the United States Marine Corps.
The document begins:
“Resolved, That two Battalions of marines be raised, consisting of one Colonel, two Lieutenant Colonels, two Majors…”
But Congress did more than authorize two generic infantry battalions.
The resolution specified that the new force would include the officers normally assigned to other regiments and an equal number of enlisted men. More importantly, Congress ordered that particular care be taken in selecting both officers and recruits.
They were to be men who were experienced seamen or sufficiently familiar with maritime affairs to serve effectively at sea whenever required.
The resolution further directed that these Marines would serve throughout the existing war between Great Britain and the American colonies unless Congress ordered otherwise. They would be known as the First and Second Battalions of American Marines and would initially be counted as part of the Continental Army authorized for service around Boston.
In the language of the original resolution, Congress required recruits who could:
“serve to advantage by sea when required.”
Those words established the distinctive character of the Marines from the beginning.
They were not created solely as sailors.
They were not created solely as soldiers.
They were raised as disciplined fighting men capable of serving aboard armed vessels, defending ships, engaging enemy crews, and carrying the fight ashore when the mission demanded it.
The founding resolution did not describe every duty Marines would eventually perform. It did, however, establish the essential idea that would define the Corps for generations:
Marines must be prepared to fight on land and at sea.
Samuel Nicholas: The First Commandant
To lead the newly formed Marines, Congress commissioned Samuel Nicholas, a respected Philadelphia businessman and member of the city's influential Conestoga Wagon Tavern Association.
Although the title "Commandant" was not officially used until later, Nicholas is recognized as the first Commandant of the Marine Corps.
His immediate task was daunting:
Recruit hundreds of Marines.
Train them quickly.
Prepare them for war.
The Truth About Tun Tavern
No place is more closely associated with Marine Corps history than Tun Tavern, located on Philadelphia's waterfront.
Tradition holds that Samuel Nicholas recruited many of the first Marines there.
The tavern was a logical choice.
It stood near the docks, attracting experienced sailors, merchants, laborers, and men accustomed to the hardships of life at sea.
However, historians draw an important distinction.
Tun Tavern was not where the Marine Corps was founded.
The Marine Corps was founded by an act of the Continental Congress.
Tun Tavern became the Corps' legendary first recruiting station and remains an enduring symbol of Marine Corps heritage.
The distinction matters because it preserves both history and tradition.
America's First Marines
The first Marines quickly proved their value.
Only months after their formation, they participated in the New Providence Expedition in March 1776.
Led by Commodore Esek Hopkins and Major Samuel Nicholas, Marines landed on Nassau in the Bahamas.
The operation became the first amphibious landing conducted by American forces.
Although much of the gunpowder sought by the expedition had already been removed, the Marines successfully captured valuable military supplies, including cannons and mortars desperately needed by the Continental Army.
The operation established a tradition that continues today:
Marines seize the initiative.
A Legacy Forged Before a Nation
The Marine Corps was founded before the United States officially declared independence.
When Congress created the Marines on November 10, 1775, the Declaration of Independence was still nearly eight months away.
The Marines therefore began serving before the United States formally existed as an independent nation.
That remarkable fact underscores the urgency of the American cause and the importance Congress placed on creating a force capable of defending it.
The Eagle, Globe, and Anchor Was Yet to Come
The first Marines wore uniforms very different from those recognized today.
The now-famous Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem did not appear until 1868.
The Marine Corps birthday celebration itself became an annual tradition after Commandant John A. Lejeune issued Marine Corps Order No. 47 in 1921, directing that the Corps' founding on November 10, 1775, be commemorated each year by reading the Birthday Message.
Traditions evolve.
The Corps' mission does not.
The Spirit of 1775 Lives On
From the decks of wooden sailing ships to the battlefields of Belleau Wood, Iwo Jima, Chosin Reservoir, Hue City, Fallujah, and countless deployments around the world, Marines have answered the nation's call with the same qualities envisioned by the Continental Congress over 250 years ago.
Discipline.
Readiness.
Courage.
Commitment.
The weapons have changed.
The uniforms have changed.
The battlefields have changed.
But the mission remains.
The United States Marine Corps was born on November 10, 1775—not simply to fight America's battles, but to stand ready whenever and wherever freedom required.
That is why every Marine, from the newest private to the oldest veteran, proudly remembers one date above all others:
November 10, 1775.
Semper Fidelis.
