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Sea Power and MaritimeSea Power and Maritime Affairs Affairs
Lesson 6: The United States Navy, 1815-1860:
The Search for Professionalism
Period of ExpansionPeriod of Expansion Monroe Doctrine – 1823
Manifest Destiny – Westward expansion
Increased immigration from Europe
Naval developments reflected industrial and scientific revolutions
Reorganization of the NavyReorganization of the Navy Postwar Navy increases in size
– Pride and professionalism
SECNAV calls for “Board of Commissioners”– Civilian secretary needs help managing larger Navy
Primary mission of the Navy = “Gunboat Diplomacy”– Protect rapidly expanding U. S. commercial interests overseas -
“Showing the flag”
Naval Warfighting Doctrine– Focus on Commerce Raiding - “Guerre de Course”– Command of the sea: de-emphasized– Coastal defense - Army forts constructed at entrances to ports
Permanent Overseas Permanent Overseas SquadronsSquadrons
With increased strength, able to maintain multiple squadrons abroad:– Mediterranean Squadron– West Indies Squadron– Brazil Squadron– Pacific Squadron– East Indies Squadron– African Squadron
Mediterranean SquadronMediterranean Squadron
Revived to deal with Barbary corsairs– Capturing of American merchantmen– U.S. declared war on Algiers in 1812– Decatur convinced Dey of Algiers and pasha of
Tripoli and Tunis that U.S. would not pay any more tribute; would not be subject to piracy
Implementing foreign policy abroad!
Leased island of Minorca until Civil WarConsidered most favorable assignment
West Indies SquadronWest Indies Squadron Created to protect shipping against piracy
– Mexico, Venezuela and Colombia revolt against Spain while Cuba and Puerto Rico remain loyal
James Biddle first commander; David Porter successful in raiding pirate’s havens in Cuba with shallow draft vessels
1824 Fajardo incident: Porter vs. Puerto Rico
By 1841, with its mission complete, the squadron was absorbed into home squadron
Other SquadronsOther Squadrons
Brazil Squadron– Formed to assist South American countries
fighting Spain’s Squadron and to prevent seizure of U.S. ships
– Enforcing Monroe DoctrinePacific Squadron
– Support diplomatic efforts with Argentina and Chile
– Recover captured U.S. ships
Other SquadronsOther Squadrons
East Indies Squadron– Protect expanding U.S. trade in Asia– Pirates in Sumatra, 1838 – American
merchantmen slaughtered– Obtain “most favored nation” status with China
African Squadron– Formed with Britain in order to suppress the
slave trade
LT Wilkes Expedition, 1838-1842LT Wilkes Expedition, 1838-1842 Squadron of 6 vessels Gathered significant amount of
scientific knowledge Charted Fiji, Samoa, Gilberts,
Antarctica, and North American West and Northwest Coast
The expedition recognized the strategic and trade importance of San Francisco and whole West Coast
Natural science collections became basis of Smithsonian Institute collections
Brought Navy favorable publicity
LT Matthew F. MauryLT Matthew F. Maury Naval Oceanographer “Pathfinder of Seas” He studied old logs and
compiled the data – Allowed preparation of detailed
charts He determined the best routes
for maximum speeds & optimum conditions
Cut New York to San Francisco route by 47 days
The “Bureau System”The “Bureau System” Secretary of the Navy Abel P. Upshur -- 1841-42
– Proponent of expansion, modernization, and reform.
Five “bureaus” established to replace the Board of Commissioners in 1842.
– Bureau of Navy Yards and Docks
– Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography
– Bureau of Construction, Equipment, and Repair
– Bureau of Medicine and Surgery
– Bureau of Provisions and Clothing
The Mexican American WarThe Mexican American War
Due to Westward expansion:– Texas became part of U.S. upon their request– Independence 1836, annexed 1845, statehood 1846 – Border dispute with Mexico (Nueces vs. Rio
Grande)
U.S. annexed California and New Mexico– Not recognized by Mexico
1846 declaration of war with Mexico
Technological DevelopmentsTechnological Developments New blood officers experimented
with new technology & methods; M.C. Perry, Maury, Stockton
Advancements were made in the areas of:– Steam Propulsion– Gunnery– Armor
Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution Affects naval technology:
Propulsion Sail to Steam
Armor Wood to Iron
Weapons Solid Shot to Shell
Technological DevelopmentsTechnological Developments
Fulton II, 1837– Second U.S. steamship.– Perry used this ship & convinced Congress to advocate the use of
steam– Commissioned 3,220 ton Mississippi and Missouri
Princeton, 1842– Screw propeller designed by Smith (England) and Ericcson (Sweden)– Oversaw construction of first screw driven warship.– The screw driven warship was soon deemed superior to the
paddlewheel France and England follow suit with Napoleon and Agamemnon
– US launches the Merrimack class fast screw frigate
Crimean War 1854-56Crimean War 1854-56 Russian invasion of Ottoman Empire in Europe Battle of Sinop
– Russian fleet annihilates Turkish fleet by use of shell fire– Proves wooden-hulled ships are obsolete -- unable to withstand
explosive shell fire Great Britain and France allied with Ottoman Turks Sevastopol Campaign
– Sailing ships inadequate compared to steam ships for maneuver– Importance of proper planning and coordination of amphibious
assaults Kinburn
– Ironclad (17” wooden hulls with 4.5” iron plates) armor on French ships used for protection ushered in age of armor
ArmorArmor French ironclad frigate Gloire - 1859
– 36 guns in broadside– 5,600-tons displacement– Wooden hull with iron armor plating 4.75” thick
British ironclad battleship Warrior - 1860– 40 guns in broadside– 9,000-tons displacement– Iron hull with iron armor plating
Discovered wood was too weak and constructed hull entirely of iron
– First “modern” warship -- sometimes referred to as first battleship
– Marked the end of wooden warship era
OrdnanceOrdnance Primary weapon was still cast-iron, smoothbore, solid-shot
muzzle loader, 300-2500 yds USS Princeton ordnance demonstration - 1844
– Ericcson’s “Oregon” and Stockton’s “Peacemaker”– “Peacemaker” improperly reinforced, subsequent explosion kills
six, including the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the Navy– U.S. naval ordnance development suspended
John Dahlgren -- “Father of Modern Naval Ordnance”– “Dahlgren Gun” - 1850’s
Nine inch shell gun, mounted on Merrimack class frigates– Bore is smooth - still inaccurate at longer ranges– Based on curvature of gun shaft creating pressures from expanding
gas that originated from gunpowder– Experiments with “rifled” cannon begin
OrdnanceOrdnance
Built-up gun barrel replaces Dahlgren gunDevelopment of gun turret to protect
gunners MonitorEnhancement of shell shotAttempts at rifling produced intense
pressures that cannon could not withstand
Conclusion: 1815-1860Conclusion: 1815-1860Period of territorial and commercial expansionNavy grew in earlier years, but professionalism
and technology remained relatively stagnant after 1850
This was time of relative peace throughout period – U.S. held defensive and isolationist policy in
relation to Europe.– People lost interest in the Navy over the years– Sectional division over slavery paralyzed naval
development
Conclusion: 1815-1860Conclusion: 1815-1860 Heading into the Civil war the Navy unprepared once again in
1860– Ships were still mostly sail and even steamships used sail--the propeller
was mostly for auxiliary power, 8-10 knots max. speed.– There were few new weapons– The fleet was also small and aging
However, tradition of global support of commercial expansion– Porter in Caribbean– Wilkes’ exploration– Maury’s contributions to navigation– Overseas squadrons– Perry in Japan