American Sea Power: 1775 – 1812

Lesson Objectives

• Know significant milestones in the early history of the Navy and USMC including prominent leaders and their contributions

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

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Colonial Period (1492 – 1775)

• Colonization by the Europeans began soon after discovery of the New World

• Main countries involved included:– Spain, – Portugal,– Great Britain, – France, – Holland

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Colonial Period (1492 – 1775)

• Mercantilism:– An economic system practiced by the

colonizing European nations– Involved colonies supplying the mother

country with valuable commodities and providing a protected market for manufactured goods

– Goal was to enrich the mother country by protecting home industries, promoting economic self-sufficiency, and accumulating bullion

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Colonial Period (1492 – 1775)

• Various trade routes developed– Reciprocal: between two locations– Triangular: between three locations

• North America primary source of raw materials including Naval stores (oak, pine tar, hemp) for England

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Triangular Trade

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Colonial Period (1492 – 1775)

• Increasing tensions between the Colonies and Great Britain:– Colonies grew to compete with the

empire that nurtured it– British enacted additional laws to

restrict colonial competition

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Colonial Period (1492 – 1775)

• Navigation Act of 1651– Designed to strengthen the British

economy and weaken continental rivals– Restricted British colonial trade to

British ships and British market– Examples of Cabotage Laws: trade or

transport in coastal waters or between two points within a country

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Colonial Geography

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Seven Years’ War (1756-1763)

• First true World War• Nations involved: Britain, France,

Austria, Prussia, Spain• American Phase: called the French

and Indian War• Ended with Treaty of Paris in 1763

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American Revolution: 1775 - 1783

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American Revolution: 1775 - 1783

• Causes:– End of the Seven Years War (1756 – 1763) and the

reassertion of British authority:– Revenue Act 1764 – Stamp Act 1765– Townshend Acts 1767– Coercive Acts - response to Boston Tea Party

• AKA Intolerable Acts– Boston Port Act– Massachusetts Government Act– Administration of Justice Act– Quartering Act– Quebec Act

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American Revolution: 1775 - 1783

• Birth of the Navy and Marine Corps– Navy : Established

October 13, 1775– Marine Corps: Established

November 10, 1775– Primary Mission of the

Continental Navy was commerce raiding

– Too small for large scale

conflict with British warships

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American Revolution: 1775 - 1783

• Privateering: Government issued “Letters of Marque” to attack enemy merchant ships.

–More effective than Continental Navy in commerce raiding

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American Revolution: 1775 - 1783

• John Paul Jones–Most successful among Naval officers– Called “Father of the U.S. Navy”– Battle of Flamborough Head in 1779• As Captain of the Bonhomme Richard,

defeated the HMS Serapis

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Bonhomme Richard v. Serapis

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Father of the U.S.Navy

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American Revolution: 1775 - 1783

• Battle of Valcour Island, Lake Champlain (1776)– American sea power was

indirectly involved in victory– British lack of naval strength

on the Great Lakes forced delay of attack

– As a result, Americans were better prepared, British more poorly supplied, allowing for an American victory in the Battle of Saratoga

– Saratoga was the turning point in the Revolution

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American Revolution: 1775 - 1783

• Battle of the Virginia Capes (1781)– British fleet arrived to

support General Cornwallis

– French fleet under Compte de Grasse met and defeated the British fleet

– Without reinforcements, General Cornwallis was forced to surrender to General Washington at the Battle of Yorktown

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American Revolution: 1775 - 1783

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Bushnell’s “Turtle”

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Decline of the Navy: 1783 - 1793

• After Revolutionary war,– Congress decided Navy was expendable

luxury– Navy disbanded– By 1785, all warships sold, turned into

merchant ships, or disposed of

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Rebirth of the Navy: 1794 - 1812

• U.S. Constitution authorized Congress:– “to provide and maintain a Navy”

• Actual appropriations for the Navy did not come until:– Navy Act of 1794– In response to the Barbary states

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Barbary Wars

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Rebirth of the Navy: 1794 - 1812

• Barbary Wars–Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli– Barbary System involved paying tribute

in order to avoid ships from being seized and crews being captured

– Conflict ensued when states demanded more tribute

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Barbary Wars

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Rebirth of the Navy: 1794 - 1812

• Quasi -War with France (1798 –1800)– Congress never officially declared war– Response to Jay’s Treaty between U.S.

and Britain– X, Y, Z affair– U.S. Navy proved a force to be reckoned

with

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Questions?

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