department of naval science american sea power war of 1812, american civil war, & the...

DEPARTMENT OF NAVAL SCIENCE

American Sea Power

War of 1812, American Civil War, & the Development of Navy Theories

1812 - 1900


Lesson Objectives

• Know significant milestones in the early history of the Navy

• Understand the role the US Navy played in US national strategies and policies during peacetime and war

• Recognize technological improvements of this period and understand how they change naval strategy


War of 1812

• Fought between Britain and US• Result of gradual escalations

– Impressment– Support for Native Americans– Seizure of Merchant ships

• Chesapeake-Leopard Affair– June 1807– Led to an embargo of all exports


War of 1812

• Treaty of Ghent– British tried to increase position

• Full blockade of East Coast in 1814• Entered Chesapeake Bay and Potomac

– Burned White House and Capitol

• Attempted Raid of Baltimore– Could not get past Fort McHenry


War of 1812

• Battle of Lake Champlain– British had 12,000 troops ready to invade the US from

Canada– US had 1,500 troops ready– Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough defeated

British– Turning point in the war, British reevaluated costs


War of 1812

• Treaty of Ghent– Signed Dec 24, 1814

• Did not address impressment or neutral rights

– Cease fire– Battle of New Orleans

• Fought after the Treaty of Ghent was signed• Major General Andrew Jackson defeated British amphibious

landing

–


The Civil War: 1861- 1865

• Causes:– Southern secessionist movement

• Slavery • States’ rights



• Outbreak:– January 1861– Southern attack on

Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina


The 1860’s


North – South Comparison

• Population• Exports• Shipyards• Industry• Transportation (railroads)• Military Leaders

Advantage• North• North• North• North• North• South



• Northern Naval Strategy– “Anaconda” plan, Navy’s role:

• Blockade Southern ports• Provide supporting gunfire for the army• Transport troops and equipment along coast and rivers• Use amphibious assaults to seize important ports


Anaconda Plan



• Southern Naval strategy– Commerce raiding– Blockade running– Technological innovations



• Overview– Land campaigns in northern Virginia– Campaigns to shrink Confederate logistic base

• Blockade of Southern Ports• War in the West • North’s taking the Mississippi River split the South • Southern commerce raiding and blockade running


Battle of the Ironclads


Control of the Mississippi


Admiral Farragut


Steam and Sail


CSS Virginia


C.S.S. Alabama



• End of the War– General Lee’s surrender on April 9, 1865



• Technological developments– Ironclads: USS Monitor v. the CSS Virginia– Mines– Submarine: CSS Hunley


Submarine: CSS Hunley



• Impact on the Merchant Marine– Commerce raiding devastated merchant marine– American shipping insurance and cost of carry cargo

rose drastically– American crew costs increased well beyond the crews

of European Empires– Most ships shifted to neutral (British) flags– Numerous ships pressed into the Union Navy


Post Civil War

• Nation looked inward:– Rebuilding the south– Settlement of the West– Navy substantially reduced


“Father of Naval Theory”

• Alfred Thayer Mahan


Naval Theory: Alfred Thayer Mahan

• Mahan originally thought America only needed to adhere to the Naval Doctrine of the time, coastal defense and commerce raiding.

• Believed that the US should avoid gathering overseas territories in order to prevent the need for a large navy.

• After assuming the duties as president of the Naval War College, his views changed



• Mahan's lecture notes become basis for his book– The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, published in

1890.

– The book brought Mahan fame in his lifetime and ever since.

– Provided a powerful argument for achieving and preserving sea power during times of peace as well as war.

– Appealed to industrialists, merchants interested in overseas trade, investors, nationalists, and imperialists.



• Elements of Sea Power– Geographic position – Extent of territory– Number of population– Character of the people– Character of the government



• Requirements for a first-class Navy:– Battle fleets: – What type of ships? Battleships– Colonies for coaling stations for a steam-driven

battleship Navy. – Examples: Hawaii, Guam, Midway– An isthmus passage to allow massing of the “two-

ocean” navy: Panama Canal



• Essence of Mahan: – A great navy is a mark and prerequisite of national

greatness– A great navy is one designed to fight an enemy in

fleet engagements or guerre d’escadre in order to win command of the sea, not one designed for commerce raiding or guerre de course.


Critique of Mahan

• By the time he published his ideas, they were known internationally

• He discounted the effect of commerce raiding– proved very effective

• Technological changes– (airplanes, subs, mines)– enabled power projection over sea forces with few, if

any, capital ships


Questions????

department of naval science american sea power war of 1812, american civil war, & the...

Documents

american civil war

alabamathe civil war

css hunleythe civil

south southern commerce

southern attack

us navy

blockade southern portsprovide

union navypost civil