Coastal Fortifications and National Military Policy, 1815-1835

Abstract

Coastal fortifications in the United States developed from the colonial practice of building temporary structures to a system designed to be permanent and enduring. Coastal fortifications became a focus of national military policy after the War of 1812. The First and Second Systems were evolutionary steps in fortification construction, but a lack of a national military policy providing guidance resulted in an incoherent system. The Board Report of 1821, based on policy guidance from presidents James Madison and James Monroe, provided a roadmap for the establishment of the Third System and coastal fortifications based on coherent policy. This monograph analyzes the history of American coastal fortifications from the colonial period to the Third System. From this perspective, it will show the evolution of coastal fortifications in relation to national military policy.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 21, 2015
Accession Number
AD1001248

Entities

People

  • Clinton W. Brown

Organizations

  • School of Advanced Military Studies

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • American Revolution
  • Civil Engineering
  • Construction
  • Determinants (Mathematics)
  • Engineering
  • Geography
  • Governments
  • Military Budgets
  • Military History
  • Military Science
  • National Governments
  • National Security
  • New York
  • North America
  • South Carolina
  • United States
  • United States Military Academy

Readers

  • Archaeological Resource Survey
  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • East Asian Political and Security Studies within the Soviet Union