One method to study the maritime events of the Revolution is to bring back its naval history. In this post, we'll learn about the French Navy under the reign of the "Sun King," including its struggles with pirates, weaker ships, and the outbreak of anarchy at sea. You'll get an education on the French government's naval endeavors of the era, too. This article is intriguing for everybody, regardless of their prior knowledge. In the seventeenth century, Louis XIV of France was instrumental in developing the French Navy. The fleet possessed the resources to win battles and the famous history of naval successes, including a decisive victory over the English at the Battle of Sluys. The French Navy, however, experienced strategic setbacks at the hands of the Dutch commander Michiel de Ruyter.
The American colonies never threatened Britannia's maritime dominance in the years after the Revolution, but they did enjoy one edge over the home country. Robert Morris, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, said: "The British have more to lose than we do." The Continental Congress's answer was to legislate the building of a fleet of warships and six frigates. There could only be 75 battleships and around 70 frigates in the French Navy. Battles against more disciplined opponents saw them at a disadvantage because of their lack of discipline. A large number of French sailors refused to engage in combat when confronted by an enemy, and many of their captains had problems assigning responsibility. There were several examples of extreme timidity, too. The Tourville, a French ship, went down in early 1793 because her crew refused to work after losing their commander. After losing twelve men, the crew of the Republicain also declined to continue working. They also didn't keep track of which ships were being repaired in which ports. While the majority of the American Revolution's maritime history takes place on land, Boston does play a significant role. During the whole conflict, there was only one major naval combat. Throughout the war, Boston sailed under the name HMS Charlestown, intercepting French ships in June of 1781 as they attempted to reach Boston. However, when the war was over, Boston was of little significance to the Royal Navy. This rendered it useless as a warship, and in 1783 it was sold to settle the costs of the war. North African pirates assaulted American trade ships in 1794, prompting the United States to reinstate its national Navy. The United States Navy was formally reestablished by an act of Congress on March 27, 1794. Construction, however, was also halted as part of this gesture after peace was declared with Algiers. Early in 1796, peace was signed, and in 1797, work began on three frigates. In many French ships, anarchy was a major issue during the Revolution. People in the business world and those with property were branded as anarchists. The anarchists were in charge of the conference and dictated its resolutions. The anarchists were not forgiven by the French revolutionary government, who were understandably enraged. There was no room at the congress for anarchists. They thought the streets were their natural habitat. The proposed consumer and worker union federation were vague and unattainable. They need public approval in order to succeed. During the Nine Year's War, the French Navy was initially successful in defeating the Dutch and British fleets. The French Navy, however, suffered more and more losses as the battle progressed. Due to this, the English and Dutch were able to retake the upper hand in naval affairs. Meanwhile, despite the French control of Dutch territory, the Dutch managed to keep their country going. The strategic goals of the French Navy were related to their expansionist plans in Europe, and as a result, the Navy often lagged behind its land-based counterparts in terms of readiness. This led to a lack of emphasis being placed on things like training and efficiency in operations. The French Navy suffered a series of crushing setbacks throughout the eighteenth century as a direct result of the Royal Navy's rising tide of maritime supremacy. At the decisive Battle of Chesapeake in 1781, the French Navy, commanded by de Grasse, destroyed the English. The Franco-American victory at Yorktown was made possible by this combat. There was a war in the early seventeenth century called the War of the Grand Alliance, commonly known as the League of Augsburg. This war, which Louis XIV of France fought against the United Kingdom, Spain, and the Dutch Republic, was the third of his major aggressive wars. In this conflict, Holland and Spain played key roles. Throughout the American Revolutionary War, both the British and the Americans relied on their own navies to protect their commerce and territory. It also aided the British in the closing years of the war when they were fighting off the Dutch and Spanish. After the war ended, in April 1798, the federal government founded the Department of the Navy, which is now known as the United States Navy.
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