The Marine Corps and the State Department

<p> This work is a complete history of the partnership between the Department of State and the United States Marine Corps. From its formation in 1775 the Corps developed a close working relationship with the diplomatic service of the Continental Congress and later in 1798 with the newly created United States Department of State. The Marines accompanied U.S. diplomats to France in 1778 and worked closely with the State Department during the Barbary Wars and the opening of China. In 1905 an executive order by Theodore Roosevelt established a Marine Legation Guard and the Corps played an increasingly important role in embassies across the globe. Today the war on terrorism highlights this important relationship as Marines guard some of the most dangerous embassies in the world.</p>