Running head: HOMELAND SECURITY HISTORY 1
Homeland Security: A Chronological History
Carlin Burnside
Liberty University
HLSC 510
HOMELAND SECURITY HISTORY 2
ABSTRACT
As a response to the attacks on September 11th, 2001, President George W. Bush created the
Office of Homeland Security. This office was the predecessor of what is now known as the
Department of Homeland Security. Centuries before this heinous attack and the Department of
Homeland Security, a much younger United States of America had been conducting homeland
security missions and operations to keep her country safe. Numerous agencies spanning over the
past few centuries have worked together to ensure the safety and security of our Nation.
HOMELAND SECURITY HISTORY 3
INTRODUCTION
Franklin Pierce once wrote “it must be felt that there is no national security but in the
nation’s humble, acknowledged dependence upon God and His overruling providence”. On July
4th, 1776 the Continental Congress of the United States issued the Declaration of Independence.
The newly formed United States of America would go to war with Great Britain from 1775 to
1783. The Revolutionary War was hard fought, but in the end, the United States of America
declared its victory. From that moment on, the United States would hold the reins and
responsibility of protecting its homeland from both foreign and domestic adversaries. Over the
next several centuries the United States would be involved in numerous battles and wars,
learning from its victories and losses.
PRECURSORS TO HOMELAND SECURITY
Approximately 230 years before the foundations of the Department of Homeland
Security were laid, the United States had created numerous services and agencies to protect its
newly won independence. Among those services were the United States Marshals Service, the
United States Customs Service, and the United States Coast Guard. Each of these services played
a unique role in securing America’s homeland.
United States Marshals Service
On September 24th, 1789, the Judiciary Act was approved by Congress and signed into
law by President George Washington (Legends, n.d.). This act established the Office of the
United States Marshals. US Marshals’ primary duties and responsibilities have varied and grown
over the years to include fugitive apprehension, federal judiciary protection, federal prisoner
transport, witness protection, and handling contraband seized from criminal (U.S Marshals,
HOMELAND SECURITY HISTORY 4
2019). Over the next several centuries, the United States Marshal Service grew from a mere
thirteen members to over 3,900 law enforcement officers. The United States Marshal Service was
later transferred from the Office of the United States Marshal to the United States Department of
Justice.
United States Customs Service
As a precursor to what is now known as the United States Customs and Border
Protection, the United States Customs Service was officially formed on July 31st, 1789 with the
ratification of the Tariff Act of 1789 (CBP, 2019). Shortly after the American Revolutionary War,
the United States was in desperate need of revenue. The United States Customs Service was
charged with securing taxes or sums from goods imported into the United States ports. The
United States Customs Service had numerous duties to include: investigating smuggling
operations, suspected violations of customs and revenue laws, preventing contraband from
entering the United States, and performing various border security duties. The United States
Customs Service went through many changes and to include the merging of the Immigration and
Naturalization Service and the United States Border Patrol to become the United States Customs
and Border Protection in 2003.
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is America’s premier maritime law enforcement agency. It
is the only member of the five United States Armed Forces that can conduct federal law
enforcement on civilians. Furthermore, it has the largest jurisdiction of any federal law
enforcement agency. Like the United States Customs Service, the United States Coast Guard has
a very unique history. On August 4th 1790, Alexander Hamilton solicited Congress to establish
HOMELAND SECURITY HISTORY 5
the Revenue Cutter service (USCG, 2018) to assist in collecting customs and protecting the
United States seaports. Alexander Hamilton once wrote, “A few armed vessels, judiciously
stationed at the entrances of our ports, might at small expense be made useful sentinels of the
laws.” Congress sanctioned the cutters to enforce national laws, protect the homeland, enforce
tariffs, and interdict smugglers (Thiesen, 2015). On January 28th, 1915, the United States
Revenue Cutter Service and the United States Life-Saving Service merged to officially become
the United States Coast Guard (Edwards, 2015).
CIVIL DEFENSE PERIOD
“Civil defense is inherent part of every citizen in many countries anywhere in the world,
which differ only in the implementation of the program. The difference depends on the threat
level and needs of each country in mobilizing citizens” (Muradi, 2017, p.12). The civil defense
period was an attempt to protect American citizens, primarily civilians, from attacks usually
during wartime or in the event of a catastrophic natural disaster.
World Wars
During World War I and World War II there were many collaborations between the
United States and the Allies to assist civilians caught in the conflict. One service in particular
was the Civil Defense Service. Members of the Civil Defense Service were responsible for
gathering intelligence on military operations and assisting the public in various ways. Another
service was the Civil Air Patrol. The Civil Air Patrol acted as an auxiliary unit for the Army
filling the role of search and rescue. In May of 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt established
the Office of Civilian Defense (Peters & Woolley, n.d.). The Office of Civilian Defense was
HOMELAND SECURITY HISTORY 6
primarily responsible for the health and welfare of civilians in the event of a military strike
against the United States.
Cold War
The Cold War was a very different kind of war. Tensions between the United States and
the Soviet Union were high. In an effort to protect the civilian population from the blast and
fallout of a nuclear weapon, steps were preemptively taken. The four phases of emergency
management were put to the test during this atomic era. The United States utilized diplomacy
and missile defense systems in order to mitigate the use of nuclear weapons. Blast shelters and
sirens to warn the public were built in preparation of a nuclear blast. Response and recovery
plans were thoroughly drawn out, but fortunately were never needed.
HOMELAND SECURITY POST 9/11
Immediately following the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on
September 11th, 2001, President Bush created the Office of Homeland Security in an effort to
further any more terrorist attacks against the United States. On November 19th, 2002 Congress
enacted the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and created the Department of Homeland Security
(Perl, 2004).
Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security is a collaboration of a multitude of agencies and
services. With over twenty agencies at its disposal, the Department of Homeland Security can
focus not only on combating terrorism, but effectively oversee and provide emergency
management assistance to agencies across the United States. The Federal Emergency
Management Agency is the lead agency concerning emergency management in the United States.
HOMELAND SECURITY HISTORY 7
Combating Disasters
After the wake of September 11th, 2001, numerous acts and laws were enacted to ensure
the safety of the United States. One of these initiatives was the Maritime Transportation Security
Act of 2002. The Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 is primarily managed by the
United States Coast Guard and has numerous requirements and constraints. According to
Haverman, Shatz, and Vilchis (2005) the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 requires:
The creation of national, area, and facility and vessel security plans;
The identification by federal authorities of vessels and U.S. facilities at risk;
The creation of vessels and facility response plans;
The rollout of transportation security cards for people who have access to vessels
The creation of rapid-response maritime safety and security teams;
An assessment of antiterrorism efforts at foreign ports
The placement of automatic identification systems on vessels in U.S. waters
The development of a program to evaluate and certify secure systems of international
cargo;
The creation of a new grant program.
The requirements defined in the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 were designed in
order to keep the United States port and water ways more secure after the attacks on September
11th, 2001. Though the United States Coast Guard spearheads the Maritime Transportation
Security Act, it works in conjunction with numerous DHS agencies such as the United States
Customs and Border Protection and the Untied States Transportation Security Agencies and a
myriad of state and local law enforcement agencies. The combined effort of all these agencies
creates an overlap to protect and secure our ports and waterways.
HOMELAND SECURITY HISTORY 8
BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will
say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust”” (Psalm 91:1-2, English
Standard Version). Our forefathers founded this great nation with biblical principles. As a
country it is our responsibility to heed God’s word, and not always rely on the word of man.
“And you will feel secure, because there is hope, you will look around and take your rest in
security” (Job 11:18, ESV). Even with our vast armies and agencies, true security comes not
from numbers, but our faith in God.
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REFERENCES
Edwards, C. (2015). Department of homeland security timeline. Retrieved from
https://www.downsizinggovernment.org/dhs/timeline
Haverman, J., Shatz, H. and Vilchis, E. (2005). U.S. port security policy after 9/11: overview and
evaluation. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 2(4), 1.
doi:10.2202/1547-7355.1165.
Legends of America. (n.d.) United states marshals – two centuries of bravery. Retrieved from:
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/law-usmarshals/
Muradi, M. (2017). Civil defense and national security: composition and implementation model
in national defense. Journal of Arts and Humanities, 6(1), 12-20.
Doi:10.18533/journal.v6i01.1072.
Perl, R. (2004). Terrorism: reducing the vulnerabilities and improving responses: u.s.-russian
workshop proceedings. National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
Peters, G. and Woolley, J. (n.d.) Franklin d. Roosevelt, executive order 8757 establishing the
office of civilian defense. The American Presidency Project. Retrieved from
https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu//node/209591
Thiesen, W. (2015). A few armed vessels, judiciously stationed. Naval History Magazine, 29(4)
Retrieved from: https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-
magazine/2015/august/few-armed-vessels-judiciously-stationed
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). (2018). United states coast guard. Defense Transportation Journal,
74(3), 46.
