Naval Warfare Quotes
See {640847}, {640845} & {640846}. The capitalization is exactly as Adams wrote it. Note the omission of a capital letter for “congress” for whom he and many others had little respect even then.
Most Americans do not realize that our naval forces were disbanded after the Revolution and even the Constitution did not require a navy. We had some Federal revenue cutters to interdict smugglers but no warships and no permanent sailors or officers. The Barbary Pirates had an incredible extortion racket going in the Mediterranean. If nations would pay them an annual sum each year, they would not attack and seize merchant ships of that country and sell the ships and goods while holding the sailors for ransom. See {640850},86703,{640846} & {640848}
Without much fanfare, the United States was beginning to deploy naval power internationally.
He didn’t succeed until Mahan wrote his marvelous treatise.
There were few military thinkers at that time who would agree with Goebbels on this point.
He became one of the great heroes of the American navy and this statement is taught to every American sailor. Actually, although a very good Captain, in the battle with the Shannon, he made a number of mistakes which was unusual for him, but the Shannon won the battle. The American sailors did not give up the ship, but they were overcome with one of the highest casualty rates of any sea battle of the time. Had Lawrence lived—he dies of infection from his wounds—he probably would have faced a board of inquiry or a court martial, but his death turned him into an American hero. See {625129}. Commodore Perry, a friend of Lawrence, had “Don’t Give Up The Ship” sewn on to his battle flag, and the motto has been part of the United States Navy ever since.
