In 1900, the USS Holland became the U.S. Navy's first submarine.

A quiet revolution under the waves: the year that changed naval history

Let me explain something that might feel tucked away in a dusty sidebar of history books: the birth of submarine power in the U.S. Navy. It didn’t happen with a grand explosion or a thunderous splash. It happened in a year that seems almost shy by today’s calendar—1900. That’s the year the USS Holland (SS-1) was commissioned, and with it, the United States gained a stealthy new perception of mobility on the ocean. It sounds almost cinematic, doesn’t it? A ship that doesn’t roar across the surface but glides beneath it, unseen—an idea that would reshape naval strategy for generations.

Meet the Holland: the first of its kind in the U.S. Navy

The submarine that kicked off a new era was the USS Holland, or SS-1, named after its designer, John Philip Holland. Holland wasn’t a household name in the way some other inventors are, but he was a tireless engineer who understood the dream of underwater propulsion and silent, surprise-enabled operations. The Holland program began in the late 19th century when Holland and his team developed a petroleum-powered craft that could travel underwater using electric propulsion—batteries power the wheels, so to speak, while a surface engine keeps the lights on and the batteries charged.

When the Navy finally acquired Holland’s design, the vessel was built by the Holland Torpedo Boat Company, a young firm that would eventually grow into part of a larger shipbuilding tradition in the United States. In 1900, this little craft—Holland VI, renamed Holland and later SS-1—became the first submarine commissioned by the U.S. Navy. It wasn’t the end of a long story; it was the opening line of a much longer one. The world began to recognize the potential for stealth and surprise not as a theoretical concept but as a practical, testable capability.

Why this milestone matters for ANIT-style knowledge

If you’re navigating the topics that show up in the Aviation/Nautical Information Test (ANIT) under the broader umbrella of the ASTB, this is a handy touchstone. Submarines aren’t just a page in a tech encyclopedia; they are a window into a cluster of ideas that recur across naval history, geography, and engineering:

• Commissioned versus designed: Commissioning marks a formal entry of a vessel into active service, a critical distinction in naval lineage. Knowing who designed a vessel and who built it helps you trace how ideas move from drawing boards to the water.

• Underwater propulsion: Early submarines used electric propulsion powered by storage batteries, with a surface engine to recharge those batteries. It’s a simple, memorable pattern—the surface mode to top up, the submerged mode to operate quietly.

• The strategic payoff: Submarines promised stealth and decisive strikes from places ships couldn’t predict. That is more than a tech detail; it’s a strategic concept you’ll encounter whenever you study naval operations, maritime strategy, or the evolution of warfare technology.

• Context matters: This moment sits at the dawn of a wave of innovations around the same era—torpedoes, more capable hulls, better batteries, and more refined periscopes. History isn’t a string of isolated facts; it’s a network of progress.

Here’s the thing: grasping the roots of submarine power helps anchor a lot of ANIT material. When you see a modern submarine listed in a chart or hear a description of an underwater engagement, that memory of 1900 often makes the rest feel less distant and more comprehensible. It’s like recognizing a familiar tune in a crowded theater—the motif is there, even if the details have evolved dramatically.

A tidy timeline you can hold in your head

• 19th century end: Engineers imagine underwater travel and begin building prototypes. The curiosity is strong, the hardware still a baby.

• 1900: The USS Holland (SS-1) is commissioned by the United States Navy. This is the moment the concept becomes a real asset for naval force projection.

• Early 20th century: Submarine design evolves quickly—more efficient hull forms, better propulsion methods, and longer endurance. Nations test tactics that hinge on underwater presence and surprise.

• Mid-20th century onward: Nuclear propulsion, advanced sonar, and improved communications transform submarines into major strategic players.

• Today: Submarines remain a cornerstone of maritime power, balancing quiet stealth with long-range capability and sophisticated sensors.

For ANIT readers, the numbers aren’t just trivia. They’re markers that help you place a wide range of nautical topics on a timeline—from hull design and propulsion to communication systems and tactical doctrine. It’s a way to connect the dots between a single commissioning year and the broader arc of naval evolution.

A quick mental model you can carry forward

• Think of propulsion as two modes: surface power to charge and submerged power to move quietly.

• Remember the designer’s name—John Philip Holland—as a signal point for early submarine development.

• Tie the concept of “commissioned” to a vessel’s active status in the fleet, which is a recurring term you’ll meet across many ship types.

• Link the idea of stealth to strategic outcomes—surprise, endurance, and reach—and you’ll recognize why submarines keep showing up in history, policy, and maritime studies.

Practical ways to connect history with ANIT content (without turning it into a test grind)

• Create a mini-glossary: commission, hull, propulsion, periscope, naval strategy, and endurance. These terms pop up again and again across nautical topics, so having crisp definitions helps.

• Build a tiny timeline cheat sheet. A few lines with dates and one-line outcomes can anchor your memory and give quick context for related questions.

• Pair a vessel with its defining feature. For Holland’s SS-1, the feature is the underwater propulsion concept and the milestone of commissioning in 1900. When you encounter later ships, you’ll have a pattern to compare against.

• Use cross-links to broad topics. Submarines connect to things like navigation, maritime law, and even environmental factors in naval operations. Not every detail needs a deep dive; a quick link to a related area keeps your understanding cohesive.

A note on language and tone: learning with clarity

This kind of history shines when you keep it conversational—think stories at a shipyard or a quiet harbor at dawn. You don’t need to memorize every technical spec to benefit; what helps most is understanding the throughline: one vessel, one year, one sea change, and a ripple that reached fleets around the world. The goal isn’t to parrot facts but to make the connections feel real—so when you see a question about the first submarine commission, the answer lands with a little more confidence and a lot more context.

A small digression that stays on track

If you’re imagining the early 1900s, picture a crew packed into a compact craft that’s both a boat and a machine of exploration. The smell of varnish, the hum of an electric motor, the clack of a hand-cranked telegraph—these sensory details aren’t just atmosphere. They’re the everyday reality of turning a bold idea into something that could endure long days under the sea. It’s a reminder that innovation isn’t a flash in the pan; it’s a slow, stubborn process of testing, failing, learning, and refining.

A quick recap you can use in conversation

• The first U.S. Navy submarine was commissioned in 1900.

• The vessel was the USS Holland (SS-1), designed by John Philip Holland.

• This milestone introduced underwater propulsion and marked the birth of modern submarine warfare for the U.S. Navy.

• Understanding this moment helps you see how nautical and aviation topics intertwine in the broader history of military technology.

If you’re ever sharing what you’ve learned with a friend or classmate, you can tell the story like this: “In 1900, a submarine named Holland quietly joined the U.S. Navy. It wasn’t loud like the ships you see in old battle scenes. It’s more like a stealthy scout that could slip under the waves, change how fleets thought about distance and danger, and start a long line of submarines that would power through the 20th century and beyond.”

Final thoughts: history as a compass for understanding the sea

The tale of the Holland isn’t just a dusty footnote. It’s a compass that helps you orient a wide range of nautical information you’ll encounter in ANIT-related topics. It reminds you that ships and submarines aren’t isolated gadgets; they’re chapters in a longer story about how people push the limits of motion, control, and strategy. When you connect a date like 1900 to the idea of underwater propulsion and to the practical reality of commissioning, the map of naval history becomes clearer—and that clarity makes the whole subject feel more engaging, more human, and more meaningful.

If you want a reliable starting point for deeper dives, consider perusing the resources published by the Naval History and Heritage Command or reputable encyclopedic references. They offer a steady stream of context, photos, and diagrams that bring these early innovations to life without getting lost in jargon. And as you move through the ANIT terrain, you’ll notice that many threads—navigation, propulsion, sensors, strategy—resurface in new forms. The more you connect them, the easier it becomes to read the currents of naval history and to appreciate how a single, late-19th-century idea could ripple across oceans for decades to come.