During the Revolutionary War, and prior to the formal establishment of the Continental Navy by Congress, George Washington recognized the crucial need for naval support to interdict British supply lines to Boston. Beginning in late 1775, he personally commissioned and outfitted a small fleet of armed schooners, often referred to as “Washington’s Cruisers,” or “Washington’s Navy.” These vessels, including the Hannah, Franklin, Hancock, Lynch, Washington, Lee, and Harrison, operated under his authority as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, seizing valuable British supply ships and providing much-needed provisions to the nascent American forces. Although short-lived as a distinct entity, these early naval efforts by Washington demonstrated the strategic importance of sea power and laid groundwork for future American naval endeavors.