Chronology - 1775

September - George Washington commissions Hannah, the first of eight coastal vessels.
November - Continental Congress authorizes the first U.S. Navy. American's capture British brigantine Nancy.
December - Continental Congress authorizes the Continental Navy with the building of 13 frigates.

Chronology - 1776

March - Continental Congress authorizes privateering.
April - Continental Navy frigate Columbus captures the British schooner Hawk. Continental Navy brig Lexington captures the British sloop Edward.
June - American forces at Fort Moultrie, South Carolina, successfully defend Charleston against a British naval attack and inflict heavy damage on the fleet.
July - Two British frigates sail up the Hudson River blasting their guns as a show of force. Continental Navy brig Reprisal engages the British Shark off St. Pierre, Martinique.
September - Submarine Turtle (invented by David Bushnell) attacks the British 3rd rate Eagle while she was at anchor off New York.
October - An inexperienced American Navy is defeated by the British at the Battle of Valcour Bay.
December - The naval base at Newport, Rhode Island, is captured by the British. British frigate Pearl captures the Continental Navy brig Lexington.

Chronology - 1777

Chronology - 1778

March - Continental Navy frigate Randolph engages the British Yarmouth, off South Carolina. British ships Ariadne and Ceres capture the Continental Navy ship Alfred off Barbados.
April - Continental Navy sloop Ranger captures the British sloop Drake off Carrickfergus near the coast of Ireland.
June - British frigate Arethusa engages the French frigate Belle Poule.
July - The Battle of Ushant in the English Channel near the coast of France.
September - French frigate Junon captures the British frigate Fox off Brest, France. British 4th rate Experiment and frigate Unicorn capture the Continental Navy frigate Raleigh off Boston, Massachusetts.
December - French frigate Iphigénie captures the British sloop Ceres off St. Lucia.

Chronology - 1779

May - Continental Navy sloop Providence captures the British brig Diligent off Sandy Hook, New Jersey.
July - British destroy Naval ships from Massachusetts while attempting to take the Loyalist stronghold of Castine, Maine.
September - Captain John Paul Jone's ship Bonhomme Richard captures the British warship, Serapis.

Chronology - 1780

September - Benedict Arnold flees to the British ship Vulture.

Chronology - 1781

April - Continental Navy frigate Alliance captures the British privateers Mars and Minerva off the French coast.
May - Continental Navy frigate Alliance captures the British sloop Atalanta and the British brig-sloop Trepassy.
August - French Admiral Comte de Grasse's fleet arrives off Yorktown, Virginia.
September - The French fleet drives the British Navy out of the Chesapeake Bay in the Battle of the Virginia Capes. French Admiral De Grasse blockades Yorktown, cutting off aid to Cornwallis. Continental Navy frigate Congress captures the British sloop Savage off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina.

Chronology - 1782

January - The Battle of St Kitts.