Progressives in Navy Blue
This study examines how intellectual and institutional developments transformed the U.S. Navy from 1873 to 1898. The period was a dynamic quarter-century in which Americans witnessed their Navy evolve. Cultures of progress clusters of ideas, beliefs, values, and practices pertaining to modern warfare and technology guided the Navy's transformation. The agents of naval transformation embraced a progressive ideology. They viewed science, technology, and expertise as the best means to effect change in a world contorted by modernizing and globalizing trends. Within the Navy's progressive movement, two new cultures Strategy and Mechanism influenced the course of transformation. Although they shared progressive pedigrees, each culture embodied a distinctive vision for the Navy's future.
Scott Mobley
Scott Mobley explores the political, technological, and cultural influences that shape America’s past and present. He especially enjoys teaching, researching, and writing about U.S. diplomatic and maritime history. Scott earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in History at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Scott authored the book Progressives in Navy Blue: Maritime Strategy, American Empire, and the Transformation of U.S. Naval Identity, 1873-1898 (2018), and has published articles in various online forums and peer-reviewed journals. He also co-edits Voices & Visions, an online resource that illuminates the history of U.S. foreign relations with primary audio-visual sources. A retired naval officer, Scott graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and holds an M.A. in National Security Affairs from the Naval Postgraduate School. Before joining CSLD, Scott taught at the Naval Academy as the Class of 1957 Post-doctoral Fellow in Naval Heritage