The departments
1776-2026: Today we look at how the United States federal executive departments have changed in the last 250 years.
The Army (and Army Corps of Engineers), Navy and Marine Corps were founded in 1775 as the Revolutionary War began. By issuing the Declaration of Independence, adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, the 13 American colonies severed their political connections to Great Britain.
On September 9, 1776, the Continental Congress formally declares the name of the new nation to be the “United States” of America. This replaced the term “United Colonies,” which had been in general use.
It wasn’t until 1789, the United States government was formed with only three Cabinet-level agencies: the departments of State, Treasury and War. At that time, the country had a population of less than 4 million people.
Here’s a look at how many times the federal government has evolved.
A few notes
Department of Peace
Proposed by Founding Father and signer of the United States Declaration of Independence Benjamin Rush in 1793, Sen. Matthew Neely in the 1930s, Congressman Dennis Kucinich in the 2000s, and other members of the U.S. Congress.
Department of Urban Affairs and Housing, was originally proposed by President John F. Kennedy.
Department of Technology, proposed by businessman and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang.
Postal Service
The Postal Reorganization Act of 1970 removed the postal system from the political realm and created a corporate-structured agency, the United States Postal Service (USPS), and gave postal unions the right to negotiate on wages, benefits, and working conditions. The Act was signed into law by President Nixon on Aug. 12, 1970.
Match the agency to its flag
(Name removed if on the flag)
The federalregister.gov website lists 448 agencies. This list of agencies includes each unique federal and quasi-federal unit that has legal authority to publish in the Federal Register. See if you can match some of these agencies to their flag above:
A. Department of Justice
B. NOAA
C. Department of Transportation
D. NASA
E. Department of the Interior
F. Army Corps of Engineers
G. Department of Health and Human Service
H. CIA
I. Department of Agriculture
J. Department of Education
K. Department of Energy
L. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Answers: 1-G, 2-B, 3-F, 4-C, 5-H, 6-A, 7-D, 8-I, 9-L, 10-E, 11-K, 12-J
Bonus question: What department went from the Transportation Department to Homeland Security in 2002?
Answer: U.S. Coast Guard
Sources: Respective departments, National Archives, U.S. Congress, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis