Raid of Nassau

The Raid of Nassau in March 1776 was the first amphibious operation in American naval history and demonstrated both the potential and the limitations of the Continental Navy in its earliest days. Commodore Esek Hopkins led eight vessels of the new Continental fleet to Nassau in the Bahamas, which the British had used as a supply base.

Hopkins landed about 200 Marines under Captain Samuel Nicholas — the first significant American Marine operation — who seized the town and the British fort. The operation captured 88 cannon, 17 mortars, and large quantities of ammunition and military stores that were desperately needed by the Continental Army. The cannon were eventually shipped to New England and used in various operations.

The operation had one significant failure: the governor had been warned of the impending raid and managed to ship out most of the gunpowder before the Americans arrived. Despite this, the raid was considered a success and demonstrated that American naval forces could project power beyond the home coast. The operation was also notable for the effective use of Marines in a combined amphibious assault — a template that would be developed throughout American military history.