The first United States Navy was organized during the American Revolution,
but the first permanent Navy was born in 1797
with the launch of the first three ships built by Congress
– the Constitution, United States, and Constellation – to defend
the U.S. coast from pirates and foreign invaders.
The Department of the Navy was established in 1798.
The central image of the official emblem of the
United States Navy is a heraldic eagle holding an anchor.
The eagle is symbolic of the United States,
and it features the Union shield on its chest to signify
the strength of the nation. The linked chain surrounding the
design is symbolic of the strength of the unified states.
Both the chain and the rope around the outer
edge of the emblem are time-honored nautical symbols.
