The U.S. Navy was first established on October 13, 1775, when the Second Continental Congress authorized the purchase of two vessels to be armed for a cruise against British merchant ships. This date is considered the official birth of the Continental Navy, the precursor to the modern U.S. Navy.

After the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Navy was disbanded, and a permanent standing Navy was not established until March 27, 1794, when the Naval Act of 1794 ordered the construction of six frigates. This reestablishment responded to threats such as Barbary pirates and foreign conflicts.

Therefore, the Navy was originally established in 1775 and then permanently reestablished as a standing force in 1794.