25. The Royal Navy was humiliated by the Revolutionary War, and took steps to incorporate lessons learned
In the short span of years between the end of the American Revolution and the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars, the Royal Navy took steps to correct the mistakes and misjudgments from which it suffered. An increased focus on smaller vessels for operations in coastal waters and estuaries took hold. Concern for the welfare of crews became more of a focus for officers. Conveying techniques were studied and improved. A young officer who served off the Americas during the Revolution – Horatio Nelson – rose in status in the Royal Navy.
Incompetent senior officers and administrators began to be weeded out of the service, and ship design and construction improved. At the same time, many of the experienced officers of the French Navy, descendants of the nobility, found themselves driven into exile or trundled off to the guillotine. When the Royal Navy once again found itself required to participate in a global war to protect British interests, it was much better prepared, and in the end, it performed much better, living up to its reputation as the world’s most powerful navy.
Where do we find this stuff? Here are our sources:
“The US Navy: A History, Third Edition”. Nathan Miller. 2014
“Rebels Under Sail”. William M. Fowler. 1976
“Extracts from the journals of my campaigns”. (John) Paul Jones. 1785. Americanrevolution.org
“France in the American Revolution”. James Breck Perkins. 1911
“Report of John Paul Jones”, John Paul Jones to Benjamin Franklin, October 3, 1779. Online
“Howe Brothers and the American Revolution”. Ira Gruber. 1975
“Admiral Lord Howe: A Biography”. David Syrett. 2005
“To Shining Sea: A History of the United States Navy, 1775 – 1998”. Steven Howarth. 1999
“The French Navy and American Independence: A Study of Arms and Diplomacy”. Jonathan R. Dull. 1976
“Yes, Privateers Mattered”. Frederick C. Leiner, Naval History Magazine. March, 2014
“American Independence and the Naval Factor”. Sam Willis, Naval History Magazine. October, 2016
“The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660 – 1783”. Alfred Thayer Mahan
“General George Washington”. Edward Lengel. 2005
“The Campaign that Won America”. Burke Davis. 2007
“Redcoats and Rebels: The American Revolution Through British Eyes”. Christopher Hibbert. 1990