A brief history of the US Marine Corps as branch marks its 250th birthday

Scripps News ^ | 12:06 PM, Nov 10, 2025 | Gage Jackson

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The Marine Corps was established in 1775 to fight in the Revolutionary War, making the branch older than the United States.

Monday marks a major milestone in American military history as the U.S. Marine Corps celebrates its 250th birthday and events honoring Marines past and present are planned across several states.

Birth of the Corps

The branch traces its origins to Nov. 10, 1775, when John Adams drafted a resolution creating the Continental Marines to serve alongside the Continental Navy in the Revolutionary War. Recruitment began at a brewery in Philadelphia, which is now recognized as the Corps' birthplace.

First Missions

The Marines' first assault came in the Bahamas in 1776, when they seized gunpowder and munitions from British soldiers. Throughout the Revolutionary War, Marines fought both at sea and on land, with historic clashes that helped secure American independence. The Continental Marines were then disbanded in 1783 after the war ended.

Re-establishment and 19th-century conflicts

The Marine Corps was eventually revived 15 years later to safeguard U.S. operations during a quasi-war against France, which landed them in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The branch later took part in the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, as well as various smaller wars defending U.S. interests around the world.

World War I — "Devil Dogs"

During World War I, the Marine Corps deployed to battlefields in France, where heroic actions by the 4th Marine Brigade earned it the title of "Devil Dogs." Aviation also played a large role in the war effort, as Marine pilots flew bomber missions over Belgium and France.

World War II — Mastering amphibious warfare

Between 1941 and 1945, the Marine Corps carried out various large-scale amphibious assaults across the Pacific Ocean, including historic battles in Guam, Okinawa, and Iwo Jima, which birthed the historic flag-raising photograph. By the end of the war, the branch had grown to six...

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TOPICS: Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: godsgravesglyphs; usmc

[Tell It Right]

IMHO the first marine mission like we think of today was the one William Eaton led in the First Barbary War.

[SunkenCiv]

[DFG]

“From the Halls of Montezuma” : This refers to the Battle of Chapultepec in September 1847 during the Mexican-American War. Marines stormed Chapultepec Castle, a fortress on a hill in Mexico City that was once part of the Aztec capital, which ultimately led to the capture of the city.

“To the Shores of Tripoli” : This refers to the 1805 Battle of Derna, which was fought during the First Barbary War. Marines, led by First Lieutenant Presley O’Bannon, marched across the desert to capture the city of Derna and raise the American flag for the first time over a fortress in the Old World.

[budj]

Happy Birthday to the Few, the Proud!

[Mouton]

Semper Fi.

[Organic Panic]

And democrat a holes say Islam created America.

America has always been at war with Islam and Islam has always been at war with civilization.

Semper Fi....

Though I only get to say Semper Paratus.

[MacNaughton]

America has always been at war with Islam and Islam has always been at war with civilization.

"... from the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli ..."

The First Barbary War (1801–1805), also known as the Tripolitan War and the Barbary Coast War, was a conflict during the 1801–1815 Barbary Wars, in which the United States fought against Ottoman Tripolitania. Tripolitania had declared war against the United States over disputes regarding tributary payments in exchange for a cessation of Tripolitanian commerce raiding at sea. United States President Thomas Jefferson refused to pay this tribute. The First Barbary War was the first major American war fought outside the New World, and in the Arab world,[6][7] besides the smaller American–Algerian War (1785–1795).