"A detailed account of how the US Navy modernized itself between the War of 1812 and the Civil War, through strategic approaches to its personnel, operations, technologies, and policies, among them an emerging officer corps, which sought to professionalize its own ranks, modernize the platforms on which it sailed, and define its own role within national affairs and in the broader global maritime commons"-- Provided by publisher.

Introduction : A journey toward maritime destiny -- Naval inheritance -- The intellectual awakening of the Navy : A republic of ideas -- Governing the Navy -- Force structure and modernization -- Maritime destiny : A global strategy and naval operations -- An actualized naval culture -- Conclusion : The awakening of the US Navy.