The Long Road to Annapolis: The Founding of the Naval Academy and the Emerging American Republic

309 Pages·2010·3.86 MB·English

by  William P. Leeman

The Long Road to Annapolis
The Long Road to
Annapolis
The Founding of the Naval Academy
and the Emerging American Republic
william p. leeman
The University of North Carolina Press Chapel Hill
© 2010 THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA PRESS
All rights reserved. Designed by Kimberly Bryant and set in Monticello by Tseng Information
Systems, Inc. Manufactured in the United States of America. The paper in this book meets the
guidelines for permanence and durability of the Committee on Production Guidelines for Book
Longevity of the Council on Library Resources. The University of North Carolina Press has been
a member of the Green Press Initiative since 2003.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Leeman, William P.
The long road to Annapolis : the founding of the Naval Academy and the emerging American
republic / William P. Leeman.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8078-3383-4 (cloth : alk. paper)
1. United States Naval Academy—History—19th century. 2. Military education—Social aspects—
United States—History—19th century. 3. United States. Navy—Officers—Training of—History—
19th century. 4. Political culture—United States—History—19th century. 5. Nationalism—United
States—History—19th century. 6. Democracy and education—United States—History—19th cen-
tury. I. Title.
V415.L1L44 2010
359.0071'173—dc22 2009044822
14 13 12 11 10 5 4 3 2 1
To my parents,
BARBARA E. LEEMAN
and
WILLIAM H. LEEMAN III
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CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
[ xi ]
INTRODUCTION Armed Ambassadors
[ 1 ]
PROLOGUE The Maddest Idea in the World
[ 11 ]
CHAPTER 1 Defending the New Republic
[ 19 ]
CHAPTER 2 Learning the Ropes
[ 49 ]
CHAPTER 3 A West Point for the Navy?
[ 69 ]
CHAPTER 4 Academies and Aristocracy in Andrew Jackson’s America
[ 101 ]
CHAPTER 5 The Sword and the Pen
[ 127 ]
CHAPTER 6 Mutiny, Midshipmen, and the Middle Class
[ 163 ]
CHAPTER 7 Annapolis
[ 195 ]
EPILOGUE Homecoming
[ 231 ]
Appendix [ 239 ] Notes [ 243 ] Bibliography [ 269 ] Index [ 283 ]
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TABLES AND ILLUSTRATIONS
Tables
1. Analysis of the Senate Vote on the Amendment of the
U.S. House of Representatives to “A Bill for the Gradual
Improvement of the Navy” (March 2, 1827), by Geographic
Section, Political Affiliation, and Educational Background
[ 239 ]
2. Senior Class Schedule, U.S. Naval School, 1845 [ 240 ]
3. Junior Class Schedule, U.S. Naval School, 1845 [ 240 ]
4. Original Holdings of the U.S. Naval School Library,
by Subject [ 241 ]
Illustrations
Midshipman David Farragut [ 63 ]
West Point superintendent Sylvanus Thayer [ 76 ]
West Point in 1828 [ 112 ]
Midshipmen and officers in full dress uniforms [ 147 ]
U.S. brig-of-war Somers [ 178 ]
Inspecting Fort Severn [ 208 ]
U.S. Naval School grounds in 1845 [ 217 ]
U.S. Naval Academy in 1853 [ 228 ]
John Paul Jones Commemoration Ceremony [ 233 ]