"Importance of Sea Power in the American Revolution" Topic

The path to victory in the War for Independence gave rise to historian Dudley Knox's observation that "the American Revolution is revealed as much more of a naval than a military war."

Naval History Magazine: link

I read Blue Water Patriots a few years back and will probably re-read it someday. Seapower in the AWI and ACW are vastly under appreciated.

Especially if one considers all of the riverine actions during the ACW!

Jim

Nice article, but it rather overemphasizes the role of the tiny American naval effort and barely mentions the global naval war launched against the UK by a combination of its most inveterate naval enemies which gave the Revolution the oxygen it needed to succeed. He also fails to mention that the worst defeat in US naval history until Pearl Harbor happened at Penobscot Bay in 1779.

Setting aside curmudgeonly history nerd gripes, a lot of the battles described sound like fantastic wargames. (Including Penobscot Bay – it didn't have to be a defeat!)

- Ix

Another excellent book is "In the Hurricane's Eye" by Nathan Philbrick. He explains how the British and French moved their naval forces during the war; and he goes on to explain how the weather and hurricane seasons in the Caribbean and Atlantic influenced the movement of the respective fleets. A very easy and enjoyable book to read.