In what year did the Coast Guard service start?

• A. 1871
• B. 1822
• C. 1899
• D. 1976

Answer: (B)

Think of the Coast Guard as a lineage of federal maritime service, not just a single modern agency. The starting point in many study materials is the moment when the United States first established a more formal, organized maritime enforcement and rescue system under the national government. That milestone is identified as 1822, marking the early beginnings of a coordinated federal maritime service that would evolve over time. The Coast Guard, in its current, unified form, wasn’t created until 1915, when the Revenue Cutter Service merged with the Life-Saving Service to become one service. So the 1822 date is used in this framing to trace the start of the Coast Guard’s service lineage, while 1915 marks its birth as the single modern organization. The other years represent later developments or reorganizations and aren’t cited as the start of the Coast Guard’s service in this context.