The origins of the Navy predate independence by almost a year. On 26 August 1775, the colony assembly of Rhode Island sent its delegates to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia to request that “a fleet of sufficient force for the protection of these colonies” be established. Although the Congress had already urged individual colonies to mount their own naval defenses, the Rhode Island Assembly understood that securing American ports and waters would be a bigger job than any colony could handle. The U.S. Navy’s official birthday is October 13, 1775, when the Continental Congress authorized the creation of the Continental Navy, marking the beginning of the nation’s naval tradition.