The Continental Navy was created by George Washington in 1775 to protect the American colonies from attacks by the British. At the end of the Revolutionary War, the Continental Navy was disbanded. However, American merchant ships were under continuous attacks by North African pirates so the Department of the Navy was created by Congress in April 1798. Also, after the American Revolution, the British refused to leave American territory along the Great Lakes and continued to attack American merchant ships. This led to the War of 1812.