In what year was the Department of the Navy established?

• A. 1798
• B. 1789
• C. 1801
• D. 1775

Answer: (A)

The main point here is when the United States created a formal, standing department to manage naval affairs. The Department of the Navy was established in 1798 by Congress, through the Navy Act, to oversee ships, sailors, and naval operations as part of the new federal government structure. Before that, naval matters were handled in more ad hoc ways, and after the Revolution a dedicated department was needed as the Navy grew.

That’s why this year is the best answer: it marks the official creation of a separate national naval administration. The other years don’t fit because 1775 marks the start of the Continental Navy, not a federal department; 1789 is when the new government under the Constitution began and the War Department, among others, was set up but not the Navy; 1801 is not associated with establishing the Department of the Navy.