Changing Tides: The Importance of the Navy in the American Civil War

Abstract

This paper will provide much deserved attention and recognition to the efforts of the Navy during the American Civil War. This is a topic that does not get enough study for how influential it was. The Navy proved instrumental both in the outcome of the War itself and in the implementation of a new form of modern naval warfare. Through the study of records on topics such as the blockade, river warfare, ironclads, submarines and torpedos, this paper will prove that the Navy was an important aspect of the American Civil War that deserves far more credit than it is given.