Defending America's Coasts,
950
Introduction
The Corps of Engineers' Role in Coast Defense
Throughout most of its history, the United States, separated from the other powerful nations of the
world by large bodies of water, relied on coast defense to deter enemy invasion. This defensive
measure depended on fortifications but also included submarine mines, nets, and booms; ships; and
airplanes. Thus, all of the country's armed forces participated in coast defense, but the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers played a central
From its origin, the Army Corps of Engineers had the responsibility for planning, constructing, and
maintaining coastal fortifications. No early law specifically assigned the Corps that task. Many
1 Sth-century Americans, numerous Army officers among them, believed that engineers should
undertake the responsibility. Most likely, this belief stemmed from an awareness of the duties of
foreign military engineers, especially the French. Colonial experience also taught that engineers were
the obvious fort
Initially, the Continental Army had no military engineers. In June 1775, it received authorization to
appoint some engineers, and in March 1779, the Continental Congress approved their formation into
a "Corps of Engineers." Besides overseeing coastal fortification construction, these engineers placed
obstructions in channels and harbors and stretched chains across rivers to prevent the passage of
enemy ships. They also experimented with submarine mines, which they called
When the American Revolution began in 1775, many coastal fortifications already dotted the Atlantic
coast. Local communities, colonies, and military engineers constructed these defenses, usually
earthworks, as protection from pirate raids and foreign incursions. Although seldom used, the forts
were a
Much additional
construction occurred during the American Revolution. Many of the
defenses were simple earthworks, usually erected to meet specific threats. The British built a few
more elaborate structures including Mud Fort, later Fort
at Philadelphia. Similarly, the
Americans constructed Fort Sullivan, later Fort Moultrie, at Charleston, South Carolina; Fort
Whetstone, on the present site of Fort
at Baltimore; Fort
New Jersey, on the
Delaware River; and Fort Washington at New York
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