A Hundred Years of the United States Navy

A Hundred Years of the United States Navy

I was drawn to the photos that went along with the article on the US Navy. The image is accompanied by an article talks about the technology that the United States had started to implement in their battleships. The article was written by “An Officer In The Service”, but it is clear that the writer has an in depth background in the history of the US Navy. I am not surprised that the writer chose to stay anonymous considering the numerous Pacific campaigns that were taking place. In the late 1890s and early 1900s, the US was actively involved in few different conflicts. The article that goes along with the image also seems to be hinting at the growth of the US as a major military power and that the US is starting to hold its own internationally. The civil war marked the first use of iron-armored ships in the US, and less that 40 years later, the US fleet is comprised of almost entirely steel ships. Rather than the ships of the past, these warships were built with the single purpose of engaging enemy targets. That combined with engines means that the speed of naval warfare has also significantly increased. As shown in the image, there is a stark contrast between the older ships on the left and the newer ones on the right. Not only is the Navy developing a larger fleet, but they are working to stay on the technical front of warfare.

"A Hundred Years of the American Navy" Collier's Weekly Journal of Art, Literature, and Current Events 24.14 (6 January 1900) Print.

Scott Nye