Historical accounts for early U.S. naval history now occur across the spectrum of two and more centuries. This Bibliography lends itself primarily to reliable sources covering early U.S. naval history beginning around the American Revolution period on through the 18th and 19th centuries and includes sources which cover notable naval commanders, Presidents, important ships, major naval engagements and corresponding wars. The bibliography also includes sources that are not committed to the subject of U.S. naval history per se but whose content covers this subject extensively.
Among the contemporary and earlier historical accounts are primary sources, historical accounts, often derived from letters, dispatches, government and military records, captain's logs and diaries, etc., written by authors who were involved in or closely associated to the historical episode in question. Primary source material is often collected, compiled and published by other editors also, sometimes many years after the historical subject has passed. Many of the authors are notable and even famous in their own right and are linked to their corresponding biographies.
General naval history
Allen, Gardner W. (1909). Our Naval War with France. Houghton Miffn Publishers, New York. p. 323, , E'book
Blanchard, Amos (1832). American military & naval biography:...Salisbury, Cincinnati, p. 604, E'book Bradford, James C. (1955). Quarterdeck and bridge: two centuries of American naval leaders. Naval Institute Press, 1997. p. 455, . Book (par view)
Braynard, Frank Osborn, (1956). Famous American ships: being an historical sketch of the United States as told through its maritime life, Hastings House, p. 207, Book (snippit view)
Canney, Donald L. (2001). Sailing warships of the US Navy. Chatham Publishing / Naval Institute Press. p. 224. , Book (par view)
Chapelle, Howard I. (1998). The History of the American Sailing Navy: The Ships and Their Development Konecky & Konecky, p. 592, , Book (snippit view)
—— (1935). The history of American sailing ships, Volume 46 W. W. Norton & company, p. 400, , Book (snippit view)
Chesneau, Roger; Koleśnik, Eugène M.; Campbell, N. J. M.; (1979). Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905, Conway Maritime Press, 440 pages, , Book (no view) Clark, George Ramsey; Stevens, William Oliver; Alden, Carroll Storrs; Krafft, Herman FrederickA Short History of the United States NavyJ. B. Lippincott Company, p. 503, E'book, 1911 edition, E'book, 1927 revised edition Coggeshall, George (1856). History of the American privateers, and letters-of-marque: ... G.Coggeshall; C.T. Evans, Agent. New York. p. 438, E'book
Cooper, James Fenimore (1846). Lives of distinguished American naval officers ... , Carey and Hart, Philadelphia.. p. 436. , E'book
—— (1864).History of the Navy of the United States of America: Continued to 1860 ..., Volumes 1–3Blakeman & Mason, p. 634, E'book Coletta, Paolo Enrico (1981). A Bibliography of American Naval HistoryNaval Institute Press, , p. 453, Book (no view) —— (1856). History of the navy of the United States of America. Stringer & Townsend, New York. p. 508. , E'book
Cross, Wilbur (1960). Naval battles and heroesAmerican Heritage Pub. Co, p. 153, Book (snippit view)
Daughan, George C. (2008). If By Sea: The Forging of the American Navy – from the Revolution to the War of 1812 Basic Books; New York. p. 576, , Book
Dept U.S. Navy. "Ships Histories Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Department of the Navy – Naval History Center. Retrieved 1 November 2011, Book
Dept U.S. Navy, "Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships : DANFS, Department of the Navy – Naval History Center.
Donovan, Frank Robert (1962). The tall frigates. Dodd, Mead; Original, Univ. Wisconsin. p. 23, Book (snippit view) Dorwart, Jeffery M.; Wolf, Jean K. (2001). The Philadelphia Navy Yard: From the Birth of the U.S. Navy to the Nuclear Age. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 271, . Book (no view)
Dresel, H.G., (1896), United States Naval Institute Proceedings, Volume 22(Naval warfare, tactics, weapons, etc.,) United States Naval Institute, Annapolis p.866, E'book Dull, Jonathan R. (2012). American Naval History, 1607–1865: Overcoming the Colonial Legacy, Univ of Nebraska Press, p. 216, , Book (par view)
Emmons, George Foster, Lieut. U.S.N. (1853). The navy of the United States, from the commencement, 1775 to 1853: with a brief history of each vessel's service and fate as appears upon record Gideon & Co., Washington, p. 208, E'book Fink, Leo Gregory (1962). Barry or Jones, "Father of the United States Navy"; Historical Reconnaissance Jefferies & Manz, Inc, Philadelphia. p. 554, Book (snippit view)
Folsom, Benjamin (2012). A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Distinguished Officers in the American Navy. Gale, Sabin Americana. p. 192, . E'book
—— (1984). Jack tars and commodores: the American Navy, 1783–1815 Houghton Mifflin, p. 318, , Book (snippit view)
Franklin, Walter, (1961). Famous American ships: from the discovery of the New World to the Battle of Manila Bay, Golden Press, p. 54, Book (snippit view)
Frost, John, (1852). Universal naval history: comprising the naval operations of the principal maritime nations of the world, from the earliest period to the present time H.E Robins and Company, New York, p. 608, E'book
—— (2009). (Orig: 1844) American Naval Biography E.H. Butler, Philadelphia, p. 432, , E'book
Gillmer, Thomas, (1997). Old Ironsides, International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press, p. 239, , Book
Goldsborough, Charles Washington (1824), The United States' Naval Chronicle, James Wilson, Washington, p. 395, E'book Hagan, Kenneth J., (1984), In Peace and War: Interpretations of American Naval History, 1775–1984, Greenwood Press, p. 395, , Book
—— (1992). This People's Navy: The Making of American Sea Power The Free Press, New York. p. 468. , Book
Hamersly, Lewis Randolph (1901), List of officers of the Navy of the United States and of the Marine Corps, from 1775 to 1900 L.R. Hamersly & Co, New York, p. 749, E'book Harbeck, Charles Thomas; Doyle, Agnes C., Ed.; (1906). A contribution to the bibliography of the history of the United States navyPriv. print. at the Riverside press, Cambridge, p. 247, E'book Harrison, Henry William (1858). Battlefields and naval exploits of the United States: ..., H. C. Peck & Theo. Bliss, Philadelphia. p. 448, E'book
Hattendorf, John B. (2007). The Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History Oxford University Press, 4 volume set, , Book (no view)
Hibben, Henry B.; United States. Navy Dept (1890). Navy-yard, Washington: History from organization, 1799, to present date. Govt. Print. Office. p. 240, E'book
Howarth, Stephen (1999). To Shining Sea: A History of the United States Navy, 1775–1998, University of Oklahoma Press. p. 630. , Book (par view)
James, William, (1826), The naval history of Great Britain...Volume 1, Harding, Lepard and Co., London, p. 567, E'book —— (1822), The naval history of Great Britain...Volume 2, Baldwin, Cradock and Joy, London p. 646, E'book —— (1837), The naval history of Great Britain...Volume 3, Richard Bentley, London, p. 386, E'book —— (1824), The naval history of Great Britain...Volume 4, Baldwin, Chadock and Joy, London, p. 500, E'book —— (1847/1859), The naval history of Great Britain...Volume 5, Richard Bentley, London, p. 458, E'book —— (1837), The naval history of Great Britain...Volume 6, Richard Bentley, London, p. 458, E'book Johnson, Robert Erwin (1964). Thence Round Cape Horn: The Story of United States Naval Forces on Pacific Station, 1818–1923 Annapolis: Naval Institute Press. p. 276. , Book
Judson, Clara Ingram (1943). Donald McKay: Designer of Clipper ShipsCharles Scribner's Sons, New York, p. 136, Book Kimball, Horace (1858). The Naval Battles of the United States in the Different Wars with Foreign Nations, from the Commencement of the Revolution to the Present Time: Including PrivateeringHiggins, Bradley and Dayton, Boston, p. 278, E'book Labaree Benjamin W.; Fowler, William M.; Hattendorf, John; Sloan, Edward; Safford Jeffrey; German, Andrew (1998) America and The Sea: A Maritime History, Mystic Seaport publications, p. 686, , Book
Lavery, Brian (1984), The Ship of the Line: The development of the battlefleet 1650–1850, Conway Maritime Press, p. 224, , Book Leeman, William P. (2010). The Long Road to Annapolis: The Founding of the Naval Academy and the Emerging American Republic, Univ of North Carolina Press. p. 292. , Book
McBride, James (1815). Naval biography: consisting of memoirs of the most distinguished officers of the American navy; to which is annexed the life of General Pike, Morgan, Williams & co., Cincinnati, p. 296, E'book
McMaster, John Bach (1914) A History of the People of the United States: 1803–1812. D. Appleton and company, New York & London.. p. 590. Book
Mahan, Alfred Thayer (1890), The influence of sea power upon history, 1660–1783 Malcomson, Robert (2001), Warships of the Great Lakes, 1754–1834, Chatham, p. 160, , Book Morison, Samuel Eliot. (1967) "Old Bruin": Commodore Matthew C. Perry, 1794–1858: The American naval officer who helped found Liberia, Hunted Pirates in the West Indies, Practised Diplomacy With the Sultan of Turkey and the King of the Two Sicilies; Commanded the Gulf Squadron in the Mexican War, Promoted the Steam Navy and the Shell Gun, and Conducted the Naval Expedition Which Opened Japan (1967) pp. 61–76 online free to borrow Moore, James (1984), Building the Wooden Fighting Ship, Facts On File, Incorporated, p. 128, , Book Morris, James M.; Kearns, Patricia M. (2011). Historical Dictionary of the United States NavyScarecrow Press, p. 570, , Book Miller, Nathan (1997). The U.S. Navy: A History (3rd ed.) Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. . , Book
—— (2005). Broadsides: The Age of Fighting Sail, 1775–1815, Wiley Book Sales, p. 388, , Book
Paine, Lincoln P. (1997). Ships of the world: an historical encyclopedia, Houghton Mifflin Co., p. 680, , Book
—— (2000). Ships of Discovery and Exploration, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, p. 188, . Book
—— (2000). Warships of the world to 1900, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, New York, NY. p. 266. . Book
Paullin, Charles Oscar (1906). The navy of the American Revolution: its administration, its policy and its achievements The Burrows Brothers Co. / Republican Printing Co., Iowa. p. 549, E'book
Peterson, Charles Jacobs (1857) The American navy: being an authentic history of the United States navy ... Jas. B. Smith & Co, Philadelphia. p. 545, E'book
Preble, George Henry (N) (1870). The First Cruise of the United States Frigate Essex: With a Short Account of Her Origin, and Subsequent Career Until Captured by the British in 1814, and Her Ultimate Fate, Essex Institute, p. 108, E'book —— (1892). History of the United States Navy-yard, Portsmouth, N.H., U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, p. 219, E'book Scott, Robert Nicholson; Lazelle, Henry Martyn; Davis, George Breckenridge (1891). The War of the Rebellion: v. 1-53 [serial no. 1-111] Formal reports, both Union and Confederate, of the first seizures of United States property in the southern states ...U.S. Government Printing Office, p. 807, E'book Silverstone, Paul (2012). The Sailing Navy, 1775–1854, Routledge, p. 112. , Book
Smith, Joshua M. (2009). Voyages, the age of sail: documents in American maritime history. 1492–1865University Press of Florida, p. 396, , Book (snippit view) Sondhaus, Lawrence (2001). Naval Warfare 1815–1914, Taylor & Francis. p. 272. . , Book
Spears, John Randolph; Chamier, Frederick (1899). The history of our navy : from its origin to the end of the war with Spain, 1775–1898, Volume 4. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. p. 526, Book
Stevens, William Oliver; Westcott, Allan Ferguson (1920), A History of Sea Power, George H. Doran Company, New York. p. 428, E'book