▁office ▁of ▁the ▁Governor ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ▁and / or ▁by ▁legisl ative ▁action ▁committed ▁by ▁the ▁b ic amer al ▁Pennsylvania ▁General ▁Assembly . ▁ ▁History ▁When ▁the ▁American ▁Revolution ary ▁War ▁broke ▁out ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 7 7 5 , ▁the ▁col ony ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ' s ▁Committee ▁of ▁Saf ety ▁decided ▁that ▁the ▁col ony ' s ▁capital ▁and ▁seat ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Cont inental ▁Congress , ▁Philadelphia , ▁would ▁need ▁to ▁be ▁protected ▁against ▁the ▁inc urs ions ▁of ▁British ▁naval ▁vessels ▁on ▁the ▁Del aware ▁River . ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 7 7 5 ▁it ▁author ized ▁the ▁purchase ▁and ▁out f itting ▁of ▁ships ▁for ▁that ▁purpose . ▁ ▁Two ▁days ▁later ▁it ▁placed ▁its ▁first ▁order ▁for ▁an ▁armed ▁gal ley . ▁ ▁By ▁October ▁th ir teen ▁such ▁boats ▁had ▁been ▁built , ▁at ▁a ▁cost ▁of ▁£ 5 5 0 ▁each , ▁and ▁out f itted ▁with ▁a ▁single ▁can non ▁in ▁the ▁bow , ▁and ▁appointed ▁Thomas ▁Read ▁as ▁comm odore ▁of ▁the ▁fleet . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁six ▁were ▁launched ▁by ▁July ▁ 1 9 , ▁and ▁another ▁six ▁had ▁been ▁launched ▁by ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁August . ▁Their ▁names ▁were : ▁Bul ld og , ▁Bur ke , ▁Cam den , ▁Congress , ▁Dick inson , ▁E ff ingham ▁I , ▁Ex periment , ▁Franklin , ▁Han cock , ▁R anger ▁and ▁Warren . ▁ ▁Additionally , ▁ 1 0 ▁fire ▁ra ft s ▁were ▁built ▁in