Continental Marines The Continental Marines were the marine force of the American Colonies during the American Revolutionary War . The Corps was formed by the Continental Congress on November 10 , 1775 and was disbanded in 1783 . Their mission was multi - purpose , but their most important duty was to serve as on - board security forces , protecting the Captain of a ship and his officers . During naval engagements Marine sharpshooter s were stationed in the fighting tops of the ships ' masts , and were supposed to shoot the opponent ' s officers , naval gunners , and helmsmen . In all , there were 131 Colonial Marine officers and probably no more than 2 , 000 enlisted Colonial Marines . Though individual marines were enlisted for the few American naval vessels , the organization would not be re - created until 1798 . Despite the gap between the disbanding of the Continental Marines and the current organization , the United States Marine Corps celebrates November 10 , 1775 as its birthday . History . In accordance with the Continental Marine Act of 1775 , the 2nd Continental Congress decreed : These two battalions were initially intended be drawn from George Washington ' s army for the planned invasion of Halifax , Nova Scotia , the main British reinforcement and supply point . In reality only one battalion was formed by December , with five companies and a total of about 300 men . Plans to form the second battalion were suspended indefinitely after several British regiments - of - foot and cavalry , supported by 3 , 000 Hessian mercenaries , landed in Nova Scotia , making the planned amphibious assault impossible . Washington was reluctant to support the Marines , and suggested that they be recruited from New York or Philadelphia instead . The Continental Marines ' only Commandant was Captain Samuel Nicholas , commissioned on 28 November 1775 ; and the first Marine barracks were located in Philadelphia . Though legend places its first recruiting post at Tun Tavern , historian Edwin Simmons surmises that it was more likely the , a tavern owned by the Nicholas family . Robert Mullen , whose mother owned Tun Tavern , later received a commission as a captain in June 1776 and likely used it as his recruiting rendezvous . Four additional Marine Security Companies were also raised and helped George Washington defend Philadelphia . The Marines were used to conduct amphibious landings and raids during the American Revolution . The Marines joined Commodore Esek Hopkins of the Continental Navy ' s first squadron on its first cruise in the Caribbean . They landed twice in Nassau , in the Bahamas , to seize naval stores from the British . The first landing , named the Battle of Nassau , led by Captain Samuel Nicholas , consisted of 250 Marines and sailors who landed in New Providence and marched to Nassau Town . There , they wreaked much damage and seized naval stores of shot , shells , and cannon , but failed to capture any of the desperately needed gunpowder . The second landing , led by a Lieutenant Trevet , landed at night and captured several ships along with the naval stores . Sailing back to Rhode Island , the squadron captured four small prize ships . The squadron finally returned on 8 April 1776 , with 7 dead Marines and four wounded . Though Hopkins was disgraced for failing to obey orders , Nicholas was promoted to major on 25 June and tasked with raising 4 new companies of Marines for 4 new frigates then under construction . In December 1776 , the Marines were tasked to join Washington ' s army at Trenton to slow the progress of British troops southward through New Jersey . Unsure what to do with the Marines , Washington added the Marines to a brigade of Philadelphia militia , also dressed in green . Though they were unable to arrive in time to meaningfully affect the Battle of Trenton , they assisted in the decisive American victory at the Battle of Princeton . Continental Marines landed and captured Nautilus Island and the Majabagaduce peninsula in the Penobscot Expedition , but withdrew with heavy losses when Commodore Dudley Saltonstall ' s force failed to capture the nearby fort . A group under Navy Captain James Willing left Pittsburgh , traveled down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers , captured a ship , and in conjunction with other Continental Marines , brought by ship from the Gulf of Mexico raided British Loyalists on the shore of Lake Ponchartrain . The last official act of the Continental Marines was to escort a stash of silver crowns , on loan from Louis XVI of France , from Boston to Philadelphia to enable the opening of the Bank of North America . At the end of the Revolution , both the Continental Navy and Marines were disbanded in April 1783 . Although individual Marines stayed on for the few American naval vessels left , the last Continental Marine was discharged in September . In all , there were 131 Colonial Marine officers and probably no more than 2 , 000 enlisted Colonial Marines . Though individual Marines were enlisted for the few American naval vessels , the organization would not be re - created until 1798 . Despite the gap between the disbanding of the Continental Marines and the establishment of the United States Marine Corps , Marines worldwide celebrate 10 November 1775 as the official birthday . This is traditional in Marine units and is similar to the practice of the British and Netherlands Royal Marines . Continental Marine uniforms . On September 5 , 1776 , the Naval Committee published the Continental Marines uniform regulations specifying green coats with white facings ( lapels , cuffs , and coat lining ) , with a leather high collar to protect against cutlass slashes and to keep a man ' s head erect . Its memory is preserved by the moniker " Leatherneck " , and the high collar on Marine dress uniforms . Though legend attributes the green color to the traditional color of riflemen , Colonial Marines carried muskets . More likely , green cloth was simply plentiful in Philadelphia , and it served to distinguish Marines from the red of the British or the blue of the Continental Army and Navy . Also , Sam Nicholas ' s hunting club wore green uniforms , hence his recommendation to the committee was for green .