SR136

A Senate Resolution urging the Secretary of the Navy to designate the Delaware River as the site for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Navy and the Marine Corps.

Whereas, The United States Navy was founded on October 13, 1775 when the Continental Congress, at the urging of General George Washington, voted in Philadelphia to outfit sailing vessels in an attempt to intercept British supply ships; and

Whereas, One month later, the United States Marine Corps was founded on November 10, 1775 when the Continental Congress voted for two battalions of Marines to be raised in an attempt to augment the evolving country’s fleet; and

Whereas, The Navy commissioned its first ship on the Delaware River, and members of the Marine Corps played crucial roles in the battles of Trenton and Princeton; and

Whereas, The first recruitment effort for the Marine Corps was held at Tun Tavern, often credited as the birthplace of the Marines, in Philadelphia along the banks of the Delaware River; and

Whereas, The Delaware River has been the site of momentous historical events, including pivotal battles in the American Revolution and the historic crossing of the Delaware River by George Washington; and

Whereas, Francis Hopkinson, who was born in Philadelphia and signed the Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey, was a member of the Navy Board and designed the first Navy flag using a pattern of stars and stripes that would later be reflected in the official flag of the United States; and

Whereas, The USS United States, the first American warship commissioned under the Naval Act of 1794, was completed in 1797 on the banks of the Delaware River in Philadelphia’s Southwark neighborhood; and

Whereas, The Delaware River was a prominent location for shipbuilding long after the completion of the USS United States, producing the Navy’s first steel ships at Chester’s Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works (1871-1923), its first battleship at Philadelphia’s William Cramp & Sons (1888-1945), its first dreadnought and its first commissioned aircraft carrier at Camden’s New York Shipbuilding Corporation (1899-1968), its first escort carrier at Chester’s Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. (1917-1989), and its ultimate battleships USS New Jersey and USS Wisconsin at the Philadelphia Navy Yard (1812-1995); and

Whereas, The Delaware River between the banks of Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia is a uniquely appropriate site to host the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Navy and the Marine Corps, providing easy access for residents and visitors from the region and beyond; and

Whereas, The Delaware River’s location also provides access to the USS Olympia, the sole survivor of the Spanish-American War, currently preserved in Philadelphia, and the USS New Jersey, the Navy’s most decorated battleship, preserved in Camden, New Jersey; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of New Jersey:

1. This House urges the Secretary of the Navy to designate the Delaware River as the site for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Navy and the Marine Corps.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Secretary of the Senate to the Secretary of the Navy.

STATEMENT

This resolution urges the Secretary of the Navy to designate the Delaware River as the site for the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Navy and the Marine Corps. Founded on October 13, 1775 and November 10, 1775 respectively, the United States Navy and Marine Corps will be celebrating their 250th anniversaries in 2025.

The Delaware River has been the site of momentous historical events, including pivotal battles in the American Revolution. The banks of the Delaware River in Philadelphia and New Jersey are part of naval and marine history, and include the location where the Navy commissioned its first ship and where crucial land action by the Marine Corps in the Battles of Trenton and Princeton occurred.

The Delaware River has been part of the history of shipbuilding in this nation, from the completion of the USS United States, the first American warship commissioned under the Naval Act of 1794, to production throughout the years at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Chester’s Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works, Philadelphia’s William Cramp & Sons, Chester’s Sun Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., and Camden’s New York Shipbuilding Corporation.

The section of the Delaware River situated between Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia is easily accessible to residents and visitors from the region and beyond, and provides access to the USS Olympia, the sole survivor of the Spanish-American War, and the USS New Jersey, the country’s most decorated battleship.