U.S. Coast Guard History
Articles, Information & Downloadable Files
The Revenue Cutter
Rush fires a
salute on Independence Day, 1901 at Sitka, Alaska
Website Directory:
- What's New on the Coast Guard Historian's Office Website?
- About the Coast Guard Historical Program & Historian's Office
- Historical Bibliography
- Oral Histories
- Historic Documents
- Coast Guard at War
- Arctic, Polar, Ice-breaking, & other Ice Operations
- Personnel (including Casualties, Biographies, Women & Minorities)
- Aviation
- Cutters, Ships, Tenders and Craft
- Missions: History of the Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue, Protection of the Marine Environment, Ice Operations & National Defense missions
- Lighthouses & other Aids to Navigation
- Lightships
- Coast Guard Reserve
- Coast Guard Auxiliary
- Uniforms, Flags, Seals & Streamers
- Books in Print on Coast Guard History
- Just for Kids & Teachers
- Sources for Coast Guard History
- Donations to the Historical Program
- Coast Guard History Near You
Overview Histories:
U.S. Coast Guard, Revenue Marine & Revenue Cutter Service:
- History of the Coast Guard [PowerPoint]
- Coast Guard History: A Brief Overview [PowerPoint]
- Historic manning levels of the service from 1947 to 2012 and a yearly history of the funding levels of the service from 1922 to 2013 (compiled by Mike Barner and Ms. Audrey Hudak).
-
History
of the Revenue Cutter Service [PowerPoint]
- "Moments in History:" An illustrated history of the Coast Guard published during the Bicentennial Commemoration in 1989.
- Early History of the United States Revenue Marine Service or (United States Revenue Cutter Service 1789-1849) by Captain Commandant Horatio Davis Smith, 1932 (reprinted in 1989). [pdf]
- "History of the United States Revenue Marine:" An article by Lieutenant Worth G. Ross (who later became Commandant) entitled: "Our Coast Guard: A Brief History of the United States Revenue Marine Service", Harper's New Monthly Magazine, from November 1886 [pdf].
- The First Cutter? "Forerunners of The Cutter Fleet" by RADM Stephen H. Evans, USCG (Ret.) [pdf]
-
"Record of Movements: Vessels of the United States Coast Guard, 1790-December 31, 1933"; an important official publication taken from Treasury Department records regarding the movements of all cutters of the Revenue Cutter Service and Coast Guard through 1933. [pdf]
- History of Coast Guard Combat Operations, 1790-2010 [PowerPoint]
- "A Bill to Create the Coast Guard": The Legislation That Created the United States Coast Guard [pdf]
U.S. Lighthouse Service History:
- 1789: A history of the Lighthouse Act of 1789, written by the U.S. Senate's Historical Office.
- History of the U. S. Lighthouse Service [Power Point]
- 1915: The United States Lighthouse Service (general information, organization, duties, etc.). Provided courtesy of Google Books.
U.S. Life-Saving Service:
- History of the Life-Saving Service [PowerPoint] [pdf]
- Sand Pounders: An Interpretation of the history of the U.S. Life-Saving Service, Based on its Annual Reports for the Years 1870 Through 1914 by Captain Robert F. Bennett, USCG (Ret.).
- Organization and Methods of the United States Life-Saving Service, (a paper "read before the Committee on Life-Saving Systems and Devices, International Marine Conference, November 22, 1889" by Sumner I. Kimball, General Superintendent of the Service, and published on 5 January 1894 "for the information of officers and employees of the Service and others interested." Washington: GPO, 1894).
- "The Evolution of the Life-Saving System of the United States From 1837 to June 30, 1892: An Outline of the Part Taken in its Development by the United States Revenue Marine"
U.S. Steamboat Inspection Service & U.S. Bureau of Navigation:
General Histories (by region, period, missions, etc.):
- Rum War At Sea, by Malcolm F. Willoughby USCGR (T), 1964 (reprinted 1972) [pdf]
- "To Europe and Far East: A Brief History of Coast Guard Action in Asia and the Western Pacific," [pdf]
Publications and History: 2000
to the Present:
- America's Coast Guard: Safeguarding U.S. Maritime Safety and Security in the 21st Century. Bruce Stubbs & Scott C. Truver. Center for Security Strategies and Operations (CSSO) Systems Engineering Group, Aneteon Corporation, Arlington, VA, 2000.
- Admiral Thad Allen's 2008 speech to the DHS Fellows Program in which he discusses the formation and early history of DHS. [pdf]
Heritage, Traditions & Miscellaneous:
- Coast Guard Traditions [pdf]
- "The History of the 'Racing Stripe' Emblem and Brand Identity for World Sea Services and Coast Guards: The History of the 'Racing Stripe' Emblem and Brand: Part I: The United States Coast Guard," by William H. Thiesen & "Part II: The Rest of the World" by Christian Ostersehlte. Published in Sea History 139 (Summer 2012), pp. 28-33.
- "[Letter] To be read at muster of the officers and crew on board each vessel of the Revenue-Cutter Service in accordance with the provisions of article 913 of the Regulations" on every August 4th regarding the official birthday-anniversary message of the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service (1907 & 1909 messages). [pdf]
- Shots That Hit: A Study of U.S. Coast Guard Marksmanship, 1790-1985, by Master Chief Gunner's Mate William R. Wells, II, USCG (Ret). [pdf]
- "Chicago's Christmas Ship": the CGC Mackinaw's historic role as the Windy City's "Christmas Ship" [pdf]
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Last Modified 5/3/2013