THE U.S. NAVY FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE 20TH CENTURY

REVIEW 2 QUESTIONS Q1. After the Revolutionary War, what was the next significant role of the U.S. Navy? Q2. List the two conflicts that the American Navy was involved in between the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. a. b. Q3. Describe the event during the Barbary States War that Lord Nelson thought of as one of the most bold and daring acts of the age. Q4. List two events that the U.S. Navy was involved in during the War of 1812 a. b. Q5. The Mexican-American War was primarily a land war. However, the Navy provided what service during this war? THE U.S. NAVY FROM THE CIVIL WAR TO THE 20TH CENTURY Learning Objective: When you finish this chapter, you will be able to— Recognize the roles and responsibilities of the Navy from the Civil War to the 20th century to include the Civil War and the Spanish-American War. The last half of the 19th century was a time of change for the United States. Marked by two wars and the first assassination of a United States President, it was a time of rapid change for the country and its Navy. THE CIVIL WAR This bloody struggle between the States was the stage for many events in U.S. naval history. Both Union and Confederate navies engaged in shipbuilding programs. These programs brought the ironclad era into being. Launched by the Union in 1862, USS New Ironsides, a powerful ironclad, had the armor that allowed it to survive 50 hits in one battle. Ironclads The Civil War saw the development of two famed ironclads—the USS Merrimack (renamed the CSS Virginia by the Confederacy) and the Union’s USS Monitor (which sported a turret). The USSMonitor was ungainly, called a cheese box on a raft; however, it and its Confederate counterpart began the ironclad era. The battle of the ships was indecisive; both sides claimed victory. Also appearing on the scene were riverboats, rams, and gunboats. Probably more changes and advances were made in ship designs during the 4 years of the Civil War (1861 - 1865) than during any period since our Navy had its start in 1775. Submarines The Confederate Navy took the next steps forward in the development of the submarine. The USS Hunley was built with funds provided by Captain H. L. Hunley, a man blessed with imagination but lacking in practicality. The ends of this 25-foot craft were loaded with ballast tanks that could be filled for descent but had to be hand pumped for ascent. Power was supplied by a propeller fitted to a camshaft that ran the length of the ship and was turned by as many as eight men. The CSS Hunley was a jinx to the Confederate Navy. On its first voyage, it nosed into the mud and refused to surface, killing its seven crew members. It was hauled up and moored at James Island, where a passing steamer swamped it and six more crewmen were lost. It was hauled up once more and manned with another crew, but was swept over by another steamer and another three men were killed. 5-8 Student Notes: