FDLT 1006: Marine Corps History I: Birth Through Civil War
June 1837 - Henderson
"Have gone to fight the Indians, will return when the war is over."
3 March 1776
1st Amphibious Landing at New Providence, Bahamas, led by Capt Samuel Nicholas
SgtMaj Archibald Sommers
1st SgtMaj of the Marine Corps (1798)
Opha Mae Johnson
1st female marine
Veracruz, March 1847
1st major, large scale amphibious operation in Mexican American War
A. A. Cunningham
1st marine aviator
William Ward Burrows
1st official Commandant of the Marine Corps; promoted to Lieutenant Colonel
Capt. Robert Mullan
1st principle recruiting officer
Capt. Samuel Nicholas
1st traditional Commandant
Franklin Wharton
2nd Commandant
Quatrefoil
A braided rope sewn onto officer's covers to identify them as friendly units to their ship's marksmen when boarding operations were being conducted
Leathernecks
A persistent myth was that the leather collar was worn to protect Marines from sword slashes when engaged in sword fights
General Jacob Zeilin
Adopted Marine Corps emblem of the Eagle Globe and Anchor in 1868
1775-1783
American Revolution
Cpl John F. Mackie
Awarded Marine Corps 1st Medal of Honor
Aug 1814
Battle of Bladensburg
July 1861
Battle of Bull Run
September 1847
Battle of Chapultepec
Jan 1815
Battle of New Orleans
Tun Tavern, Philadelphia, PA
Birthplace of the Marine Corps
1860-1865
Civil War
April 1798
Congress established a regular Navy Department with Marines attached to each ship
1834
Congress passed the Act for the Better Organization of the Marine Corps
Globe
Depicts the western hemisphere, to show the global service and reach of the Marine Corps
Samuel Sewall
Father of the Modern Marine Corps
New Providence, Bahamas
First amphibious landing
Archibald Henderson
Grand Old Man of the Marine Corps; 3rd Commandant (January 1821); promoted to Brigadier General
16-18 September 1859
Harper's Ferry, VA
1836-1842
Indian Wars
1815-1836
Inter-War Period
November 1811
James Madison blocked all trade with Britain
18 June 1812
James Madison signed a declaration of war on Britain
April 1805
Lt O'Bannon raised the American flag over Derna -- 1st time it had been raised over Old World
10 November 1775
Marine Corps Birthday
Summer of 1800
Marine Corps' headquarters moved from Philadelphia to new national capital of Washington D.C.
1883
Marine corps motto Semper Fidelis was adopted
Major General Lewis "Chesty" Puller
Marine received 5 navy crosses
1846-1848
Mexican-American War
September 1847
Mexico City -- Halls of Montezuma
Corner of 8th and I Street
Oldest Post in the Corps
Marmeluke sword
Oldest weapon still in use today
Hamet
Presented his own Marmeluke sword to Lt O'Bannon
11 July 1798
President John Adams signed the Act for Establishing and Organizing a Marine Corps
Eagle
Symbolizes America
16 February 1815
Treaty of Ghent signed between American and Britain (drafted on 24 December 1814)
1783
Treaty of Paris signed to end war between Great Britain and United States
May 1801
Tripoli declared war against United States
Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daly and Major General Smedley Butler
Two Marines have received two Medals of Honor
1803
USS Philadelphia ran aground near Tripoli
1801-1805
War against the Barbary Pirates
War of waterways
War of 1812
Blood stripe
Worn on blue dress trousers of officers and NCOs to commemorate Marines at the Battle of Chapultepec
Anchor with rope wrapped around it
symbolizes the Marine Corps' naval traditions and roots