Federal control of lighthouses, 1789
An Act of Congress (1 Stat. L., 53), only the ninth law passed by the newly created Congress of the United States and the first one to make any provisions for public work, created the Lighthouse Establishment as an administrative unit of the Federal Government, when it accepted title to, and joined jurisdiction over, the lighthouses then in existence, and provided that "the necessary support, maintenance and repairs of all lighthouses, beacons, buoys and public piers erected, placed, or sunk before the passing of this act, at the entrance of, or within any bay, inlet, harbor, or port of the United States, for rendering the navigation thereof easy and safe, shall be defrayed out of the treasury of the United States.’
Establishment of "system of cutters" to enforce customs' laws, 1790
Congress authorized the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, to create a maritime service to enforce customs laws (1 Stat. L. 145, 175; 4 August 1790). Alternately known as the system of cutters, Revenue Service, and Revenue-Marine this service would officially be named the Revenue Cutter Service (12 Stat. L., 639) in 1863. This service was placed under the control of the Treasury Department.
Quasi-War with France, 1799-1801
The Revenue Marine was first charged with protecting the nation’s coasts and its interests on the high seas.
Post War of 1812 enactments:
Congress authorized the revenue cutters to enforce the slave trade restrictions, combat pirates, enforce quarantine and neutrality laws, prevent plundering, and remove dangerous wrecks from navigable waters.
Timber Reserve Act, 1822:
The Revenue Cutter Service was ordered to protect certain federal timber reserves in Florida.
Winter cruises authorized, 1832:
Secretary of the Treasury Louis McLane ordered revenue cutters to conduct special winter cruises along the coast to assist mariners in need. Congress codified the practice in 1837.
Seminole Wars, 1836-1842:
Revenue cutters conducted combined naval and land operations for the first time, adding to their national defense responsibilities one task that proved their versatility.
Explosion of the steamboat Pulaski, 1838:
The lack of a shore organization convinced Congress to create the Steamboat Inspection Service instead of giving the new regulatory functions to the USRCS.
Loss of the Austrian brig Terasto (1840s):
William A. Newell witnessed the sinking of the Terasto and the death of her 13-man crew. He became a congressman and pushed for the creation of a federal government supported life-saving service, beginning in 1848.
Loss of the steamer Metis, 1872
The Metis, after being struck by a coastal schooner off the coast of Watch Hill, Rhode Island, sank with a heavy loss of life. But Lifesaving Service and lighthouse personnel, along with the cutter Moccasin, rescued the survivors. The rescue signified the growing interaction among the three services, which played a factor in their later mergers.
Passage of the Posse Comitatus Act, 1878
The 45th Congress enacted a rider on an Army appropriations bill that became known as the Posse Comitatus Act (Chapter 263, Section 15, U.S. Statutes, Vol. 20). This act limited military involvement in civil law enforcement, leaving the Revenue Cutter Service as the only military force consistently charged with federal law enforcement on the high seas and U.S. waters.
Loss of the USS Jeannette, 1879:
Inauguration of the Bering Sea Patrol; USRC Corwin charged with locating the lost vessel.
International Marine Conference, Washington, 1889:
Congress became involved with safety at sea issues and passed anchorage laws. Congress charged the Revenue Cutter Service with enforcing them. The first is New York harbor and the cutter Manhattan was detailed to enforce the new laws (Act of March 6, 1896, 29 Stat. L., 54).
Boarding of the steamer George E. Starr, August 31, 1890:
A boarding party from the USRC Wolcott discovered a quantity of undeclared opium in the first recorded instance of narcotics seizure, only because the opium had not been declared, not because of anti-narcotic laws.
May19, 1896, Act of (29 Stat. L., 122):
In addition to the anchorage laws, Congress authorized the Revenue Cutter Service to enforce rules for insuring the safety of life and property at regattas and marine parades and to render aid in case of accidents at such affairs.
Spanish-American War, 1898:
The Navy tasked the US Life-Saving Service with coast watching.
Motorboat Act passed, 1910:
Congress gave the Revenue Cutter Service jurisdiction over the new regulations, this is the beginning of what would become the Coast Guard's regulatory responsibilities over pleasure boating in the U.S.
Sinking of the Titanic, 1912:
Congress authorized the International Ice Patrol.
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