Today in History: U.S. Coastguard Is Created
On January 28, 1915 the U.S. Coast Guard was created by an Act of Congress, combining the Life Saving Service and the Revenue Cutter Service. “The cutter service had been established by Congress in 1790, at the suggestion of Alexander Hamilton, to prevent smuggling; until the creation of the navy in 1798 it was the only U.S. armed service afloat. The Life Saving Service developed some years later. The U.S. Coast Guard subsequently absorbed the Lighthouse Service (1939) and the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation (1942). In peacetime the Coast Guard is under the jurisdiction (since 2003) of the Dept. of Homeland Security; in wartime, and for such other periods as the president may direct, it is under the control of the navy. In addition to its rescue and antismuggling activities, the service enforces navigation rules and maintains jurisdiction over the regulations concerning the construction and equipment of merchant ships and over the licensing of merchant marine officers and seamen. It also operates and maintains weather ships, an ice patrol in the N Atlantic, and various navigational aids, including lighthouses, lightships, buoys, and loran stations. The Coast Guard Academy, for the training of officers, is located in New London, Conn.”
—Coast Guard. (2018). In P. Lagasse, & Columbia University, The Columbia Encyclopedia (8th ed.). New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.
- Revenue Cutter Is Abolished. (1915, Jan 30). Los Angeles Times (1886-1922)
- Status of United States Coast Guard. (1915, Feb 04). The Christian Science Monitor (1908-Current File)
- The U. S. Coast Guard. (1918, Jan 20). New – York Tribune (1911-1922)
- Our Coast Guard. (1920, Jun 05). San Francisco Chronicle (1869-Current File)
- Half Hours With the Government Departments. (1921, Sep 11). The Washington Post (1877-1922)
- The Coast Guard. (1930, Aug 05). The Washington Post (1923-1954)
- 10-Boat, 80-Man Cutler Service of 1790 Now U. S. Coast Guard. (1940, Jan 07). New York Herald Tribune (1926-1962)
- Nangle, E. (1946, Apr 14). Youth on the Coast Guard Campus. Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963)
- Lacy, J. (1961, Aug 04). U.S. Coast Guard Is 171 years Old. The Hartford Courant (1923-1993)
- Ellen Hawks Evening, S. S. (1989, Jul 04). Coast Guard Auxiliary Keeps the Waterways Safe. The Sun (1837-1993)
Tips:
- Try a Gottesman Libraries topsearch or CU Quicksearch for “Coast Guard” to pull up many interesting books, articles, and more.
- Read about the history of the United States Coast Guard Academy.
- Check out the Records of the United States Coast Guard via the National Archives and/or via the Historian’s Office at the United States Coast Guard.
Images:
- Point Allerton Crew, from “The Long Line Blue Line: Evolution of the Coast Guard’s Search and Rescue Mission”, in Coast Guard Compass
- Special Side, Courtesy of EdLab Studios
***
Need to keep current, look to the past, teach a topic? The Everett Cafe features daily postings of news from around the world, and also promotes awareness of historical events from an educational context. Be sure to check the news postings on Learning at the Library, where you can delve into history.