U.S. Coast Guard: High Seas Adventure

U.S. Coast Guard: High Seas Adventure book cover — FREEDOM FORCES US CASH Guard HIGH SEAS ADVENTURE Piper Welsh Rourke Educational Media rourkeeducationalmedia com Scan for Related Titles and Teacher Resources

U.S. Coast Guard: High Seas Adventure — page 1 — CHAPTER ONE THANK YOU GEORGE WASHINGTON After the United States won its independence from Great Britain smugglers continued to run the coastlines not paying taxes on the goods they were carrying and selling The young United States was losing millions of desperately needed dollars But Alexander Hamilton had a plan to stop smugglers and send the lost dollars right into the U S Treasury In April of 1790 Hamilton asked Congress to build maritime vessels to combat smuggling and regain lost tax dollars By August of 1790 George Washington signed the Tariff Act With Washington’s signature on this historic act ten vessels were built to enforce the nation’s tariffs and collect revenue Coast Guard Cutters The first ten vessels were called cutters and the early Coast Guard was called the Revenue Cutter Service It was renamed the Coast Guard in 1915 George Washington 1732-1799 4

U.S. Coast Guard: High Seas Adventure — page 2 — After the American Revolution the United States was 75 million in debt Alexander Hamilton the first Secretary of the Treasury wanted to pay off the debt as quickly as possible He believed The debt of the United States was the price of liberty The Coast Guard did not stay close to American coasts Their duty was to patrol and protect the high seas from smugglers and pirates Vessels traveled to remote and dangerous places such as Paraguay Mexico and the far reaches of Alaska Coast Guard cutters represented the law in lawless lands and the open seas Alexander Hamilton 1755-1804 U S Revenue Cutter Bear circa 1890 on Patrol off Alaska 5

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