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lieutenant "who shall be appointed and commissioned in like manner as other officers of the United States are." In 1799, master commandant was authorized as a rank between lieutenant and captain. Although master commandant was changed to commander in 1837, this simple rank system survived intact until the Civil War.
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When the U.S. Navy's predecessor, the
Continental Navy, was established in 1775, the first set of Navy regulations stipulated the commissioned offices of captain and lieutenant. When the United States Navy was created by Congress in 1794, the legislation again provided for the ranks of captain and
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In 1825 a master commandant was paid $ 60 per month, while a captain of a ship with 20–32 cannons was paid $ 75 per month. A lieutenant commandant was paid $ 50 per month, while a lieutenant or a sailing master earned $ 40 per month. Midshipmen earned $ 19 per month. Captains of ships with more
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Oddly, the 1802 regulations say nothing about the uniform of a master commandant, but from descriptions and subsequent uniform regulations, we know that Master
Commandant John Cassin is wearing the proper uniform for his rank. Virtually the same as a captain's uniform, the only difference is his
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Contemporary paintings show a master commandant's uniform main difference from a captain's uniform was that while a
Captain wore an epaulet on each shoulder a master commandant's uniform had a single epaulet on the right shoulder, and a lieutenant commandant wore a single epaulet on the left
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57:(which was not a distinct rank, but a title given to an ordinary lieutenant). That structure remains largely in place in the modern US Navy, with the distinct ranks of captain, commander, and
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46:. Master commandant, who would command smaller vessels, was used, unofficially, as early as 1799. The rank was made official in 1806. The name of the rank was changed to "
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The early U.S. Navy had three "grades" of officer who were typically placed in charge of warships: captain; master commandant; and
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Register of the
Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps and Reserve Officers on Active Duty
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Harbor in 1804, Decatur returned to the U.S. as a national hero and was given a direct promotion from lieutenant to captain.
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notably never held the rank of master commandant. After leading a daring raid to destroy the captured U.S.
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epaulet; instead of wearing one on each shoulder, he only wears one on the right.
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Six
Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy
284:"Effort under way to bring back U.S. sailors buried in Libya"
34:, started in 1775, and the United States Navy created by the
248:"All That Glitters: The US Navy Uniform Regulations of 1802"
122:—toward the pirate fleet in the harbor of Tripoli, Libya.
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64:Master commandant was roughly equivalent to the
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218:UNITED STATES NAVY GRADE INSIGNIA 1776 - 1852
144:"The History of Navy Rank: The Officer Corps"
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38:, in 1796, had just two commissioned ranks,
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503:Military ranks of the United States Navy
126:than 32 cannons earned $ 100 per month.
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390:This United States Navy article is a
296:from the original on October 27, 2011
282:Colimore, Edward (October 25, 2011).
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451:. You can help Knowledge (XXG) by
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111:led a dozen volunteer sailors on
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107:Also in 1804, Master Commandant
327:from the original on 2019-12-23
321:U.S. Government Printing Office
260:from the original on 2016-07-21
229:from the original on 2019-12-23
225:. pp. 13, 14, 20, 26, 34.
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178:Raymond Oliver (August 1983).
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191:. p. 14. Archived from
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16:Former rank in the US Navy
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36:United States Congress
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130:References
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352:(2006).
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323:. 1825.
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