This paper analyzes the fundamental maritime defense mentality that permeated America throughout the early part of the Republic. For fear of economic debt and foreign wars, Thomas Jefferson and his Republican party, opposed the construction of a formidable blue water naval force. Instead, they argued for a small naval force capable of engaging the Barbary pirates and other small similar forces. For protection of the nation and commerce, they wanted a strictly defensive strategy developed around coastal gunboats and harbor fortifications. This research will analyze the naval aspect of this defense mentality from its creation in 1794, through the War of 1812. The coastal defense analysis will begin at the same time and conclude with the end of the American Civil War.
","abstract_html":"<p>This paper analyzes the fundamental maritime defense mentality that permeated America throughout the early part of the Republic. For fear of economic debt and foreign wars, Thomas Jefferson and his Republican party, opposed the construction of a formidable blue water naval force. Instead, they argued for a small naval force capable of engaging the Barbary pirates and other small similar forces. For protection of the nation and commerce, they wanted a strictly defensive strategy developed around coastal gunboats and harbor fortifications. This research will analyze the naval aspect of this defense mentality from its creation in 1794, through the War of 1812. The coastal defense analysis will begin at the same time and conclude with the end of the American Civil War.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ziegler, Christopher Taylor"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"MA (Master of Arts)","degree_level":"Thesis - unrestricted","degree_discipline":"History","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2003,"date_issued":"2003-12-13T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2003-12-13T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:19:28Z","subjects":["Non-Importation","Jeffersonianism","Maritime Defense","Navy","Embargo","Thomas Jefferson","Coastal Defense","Arts and Humanities","History"],"languages":[],"rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/840","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ziegler, Christopher Taylor"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2003-12-13T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["History"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis - unrestricted"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["MA (Master of Arts)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Non-Importation","Jeffersonianism","Maritime Defense","Navy","Embargo","Thomas Jefferson","Coastal Defense","Arts and Humanities","History"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright by the authors."]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/1997/viewcontent/ZieglerC120103a.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/840"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This paper analyzes the fundamental maritime defense mentality that permeated America throughout the early part of the Republic. For fear of economic debt and foreign wars, Thomas Jefferson and his Republican party, opposed the construction of a formidable blue water naval force. Instead, they argued for a small naval force capable of engaging the Barbary pirates and other small similar forces. For protection of the nation and commerce, they wanted a strictly defensive strategy developed around coastal gunboats and harbor fortifications. This research will analyze the naval aspect of this defense mentality from its creation in 1794, through the War of 1812. The coastal defense analysis will begin at the same time and conclude with the end of the American Civil War.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Jeffersonianism and 19th Century American Maritime Defense Policy."]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Ziegler, Christopher Taylor"],"dc:date.issued":["2003-12-13T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This paper analyzes the fundamental maritime defense mentality that permeated America throughout the early part of the Republic. For fear of economic debt and foreign wars, Thomas Jefferson and his Republican party, opposed the construction of a formidable blue water naval force. Instead, they argued for a small naval force capable of engaging the Barbary pirates and other small similar forces. For protection of the nation and commerce, they wanted a strictly defensive strategy developed around coastal gunboats and harbor fortifications. This research will analyze the naval aspect of this defense mentality from its creation in 1794, through the War of 1812. The coastal defense analysis will begin at the same time and conclude with the end of the American Civil War.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://dc.etsu.edu/context/etd/article/1997/viewcontent/ZieglerC120103a.pdf","https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/840"],"dc:rights":["Copyright by the authors."],"dc:subject":["Non-Importation","Jeffersonianism","Maritime Defense","Navy","Embargo","Thomas Jefferson","Coastal Defense","Arts and Humanities","History"],"dc:title":["Jeffersonianism and 19th Century American Maritime Defense Policy."],"thesis:degree_discipline":["History"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis - unrestricted"],"thesis:degree_name":["MA (Master of Arts)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:19:28Z"}