Naval self sabotage: The failures of early American naval policy, 1775-1825

Hines, John J.

Item

Naval self sabotage: The failures of early American naval policy, 1775-1825

Hines, John J.

Date

2025-07-23

Abstract

“Naval Self Sabotage: The Failures of Early American Naval Policy, 1775-1825” examines the United States Navy during the Revolutionary War and Early Republic, and its role in the maritime conflicts that the nation encountered during this time period. This thesis argues that the Navy was never allowed to be developed as an institution which resulted in the Navy being unable to fulfill the demands being made of it. This state of affairs was the result of an inconsistent naval policy caused by turbulent political dynamics and poor leadership both within the government of the United States and the Navy. This project shows that instead of one singular factor being to blame, the struggles the Navy were the result of many variables that lasted for decades.