On May 26, 1777, the Continental Congress formally approved the uniform regulations for the Continental Marines, entering the green coats and white facings into the official record of the Revolution. The Marine Committee had outlined the design the previous autumn, but Congress’s vote gave the sea service its first fully sanctioned appearance, aligning its dress with the authority of the national legislature. The distinctive green set the Marines apart from both the blue-coated Continental Army and the red ranks of the British line, marking them as a small but unmistakable arm of the naval war effort. With this act, Congress provided the Marines who fought in the rigging and on the gun decks a unified visual identity befitting the cause they served.