The U.S. Marines and the 19th Century :: Marine Corps War Essays

The U.S. Marines and the 19th Century In the beginning of the 21st Century the U.S. Marine Corps stands at a strength of approximately 200,000 personnel. The Marines are also equipped with tanks, helicopters, fixed wing aircraft and specialized ships, manned by the U.S. Navy, to transport them to various destinations. These numbers constitute a larger force than the entire armed forces of many countries and the U.S. Marine Corps is considered the junior service of the U.S. military. The Defense Act of 1947 guaranteed the continuing existence of the Marine Corps as law. All this happened in the 20th century. During the 19th century the Marines not only fought the enemies of this country, foreign and domestic, but had to fight for their very existence. â€Å"In 1806 Marine Corps registers showed a paid strength of only eleven officers and 307 noncommissioned officers and enlisted men. Its main duties at sea focused on guarding against mutinies on U.S. Navy ships. In combat, marines fired their muskets at enemy ships’ officers and crew during battle, formed contingents to board enemy ships or attack enemy shore installations, and repelled enemy boarders. On shore, marines guarded U.S. Navy yards in several American cities.† (With Fidelity and Effectiveness: Archibald Henderson’s Lasting Legacy to the U.S. Marine Corps, Joseph Dawson, p. 271) The early 19th century saw the United States as a small agrarian society trying to build a unified country. After the Revolution the Army, Navy and Marines were disbanded as they were believed to be not needed. No one planned to go to war with anyone and any possible land conflict could be handled by the various state militias. This changed with the influx of pirac y by the French and a few North African Arab kingdoms, commonly called the Barbary pirates. The United States had a thriving mercantile marine that proudly sailed across the world to find new markets. This made them perfect targets. John Adams, the 2nd president, reconstituted the Navy and with that the Marines. New ships were built and sailors and Marines were recruited to man them. They fought against pirates in the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. This had the un-intended effect of preparing them for the 2nd war with Great Britain from 1812 to 1814.