This article quantitatively analyzes American naval-force structure from 1869 to 1899. It makes four arguments: first, that operational capabilities lagged behind political decisions by many years; second, that antiquated ships imposed a significant financial burden on the U.S. Navy; third, that successful fleet operations required a technologically compatible force structure; and finally, that the United States was ill-prepared to fight a major maritime war until about 1897. U.S. naval power during the Spanish-American War was thus both novel and fragile, and might have failed had it been put to the test earlier. The article also compares American naval recapitalization to other capital-intensive industries and to earlier periods in naval histor! y, such as the galley era and the age of sail, and concludes with potential lessons for contemporary policymakers and military leaders.
This article investigates a long-standing historical debate over the development of electric torpedoes in the Confederate States of America. It analyzes the contributions of five individuals - Hunter Davidson, Beverley Kennon, Stephen Mallory, Matthew Maury, and Gabriel Rains - and concludes that Maury was the Confederacy’s most persistent advocate of electric torpedoes. An examination of new archival material also clarifies Maury’s relationship with fellow torpedo pioneers Davidson and Kennon. More broadly, the article explores linkages between memory, history, and technology. It argues that claims of technological priority matter, that memories are influenced by a multiplicity of factors (not all of which are easily discernible), and that technical source material can assist greatly in efforts to reconcile conflicting histories.
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