American maritime history in newport, rhode island, it is one of the deepest natural in closed ports in the world. For that reason the United States navy chose it as one of its key anchorages during the prime of American Naval seapower in the early 20th century. Arguably the origins of the Naval War College began. The germans were ahead of the game, literally, in techniques of wargaming. During the wars of german unification, they came up with an idea called the general staff. The general staff was an organization that enabled all the different principalities to fall in line with their regiments under this centralized Organization Called the general staff. There was a guy named emory upton, a greater general. He said look at what the germans did with that general staff. He went over to germany and studied the german methods. He brought them back. Upton basically made the argument what we needed to do was create a federally regulated army. That idea ran against some of the traditional thoughts of how the American Military should be operated. It did not go that well for primary u emory upton. He counted among his friends unable officer who served in the civil war, and the blockading operations of the civil war. Upton told him about this neat idea called the general staff. The germans came up with this idea was by creating a war college. The purpose of war colleges u pointon from uptons of you was to understand war in a deeper historical sense, so as to not only avoid future wars but also win them quickly and decisively. The Naval War College has a longer story to tell beyond its original inception in 1984. The concept of a were college was in some camps seen as slightly unamerican. This is the 1884, building with the first lectures were delivered to American Naval practitioners. One of the earlier depictions of that type of activity is seen here in this, published in january of 1889. Wesley sketch of what was going on in founders halls. The methodology was to reconstruct past battles and examine these five piece the decisions made piece by piece the decisions made in the battle. Not to be judgmental, but understand the reasoning behind the decisions. That was the purpose of looking at historical battles for the purpose of examining contemporary challenges and develop strategy for the future. The history of newport and the United States navy is a deep story that goes back many centuries. During the american civil war, newport looms large in the story of the war between the states. The United StatesNaval Academy was established originally in maryland, annapolis. Of course, maryland was not quite loyal to the union and not quite disloyal to the confederacy. The decision was made to move the Naval Academy from its location at annapolis, maryland, and break it up to newport, rhode island. They installed the midshipmen at the Naval Academy at the Atlantic House hotel, which was located in central newport. The building is no longer there, but the legacy of the Naval Academy in newport during the civil war looms very large and understanding how the United States navy evolved. Later on in the 1880s and academythe mids at the during the civil war studied under instructors like stephen b loose, and alfreloose, and alfrm ehan the word training midshipman at the academy. Among the other proteges, Alfred Thayer mehan is probably the most known. Here we have a signed photograph of him, who unfortunately died in 1914 just as the First World War was developing. Meahn his bestknown for his works on seapower. Ofhave the exact copy influence of sea power upon history, which Alfred Thayer mahan became famous writing. This was the copy he gave to president Theodore Roosevelt. Of course, Theodore Roosevelt being who he was very much enjoyed studying history. As you can see, the inscription to Theodore Roosevelt, with best wishes and complements. Influence of sea power upon history uses history specifically of the British Empire as a means of making observations about the role of Maritime Strategy in the interests of the nation. When he is actually grappling with was the interrelationship of politics, economy, diplomacy and the use of naval forces to support the free trade and economic interests of the nation. Mahan, looking to brittania as a model saw opportunity for the United States after the civil war to take a place at the table as a maritime power in its own right. Alfred thayer mahan and Theodore Roosevelt were good friends, all the way back to the 1880s. Theodore roosevelt also new Alfred Thayer mahans father who taught at west point. Because of this sort of interrelationship and shared interest in seapower, and inspired by the works of mahan and others, Theodore Roosevelt really is a champion for the creation of what was called at the time the idea of an 80 vy second none a na to none. He convinced people to build the great white fleet. They built ships named after interior states, like iowa for missouri, wisconsin. The idea was to get people in those interior states excited about their navy. For the purpose of defending the interests of the nation on the high seas, as a show of what the potential might be for this navy second to none, they staged the voyage that circumnavigated the circumnavigation of the great white fleet. They went around the world showing the American Flag and all the ports, the key ports around the world. Everyone was very impressed by the ships. So, as a european powers model their way into the first world their way into the First World War the fall of 1914, the United States decided to remain neutral. Largely because president Woodrow Wilson developed a strategy of neutrality. Group off 1916, a agents working for the German Ministry actually conducted an attack, a terrorist attack in new york city. They threw some explosives into the naval arsenal facility at black tom island. It created an earthquake under the city of new york. Is actually caused damage to the statue of liberty. Just a few months later after that attack, as the government was trying to figure out who actually conducted the attack, a uboat showed up in newport, rhode island where we are today. 53 pulled submarine u into the narragansett bay, pulled up to buoy number 2, right next to the United StatesNaval War College. Got on board u53 a water taxi and got his way up to dewey field and walked up the hill, and went to the Main Building of the Naval War College. He knocked on the front door and he said, hi, im here to send a postcard. The person at the quarter deck said, ok, what else are you here for . He said im here to call upon the president of the Naval War College. At the time that was admiral austin knight. They walked up the stairs to the second floor. The lieutenant of the Imperial German Navy introduced himself to admiral knight, the president of the Naval War College. He said where you hear . We are neutral. You are a warship and you are in danger of violating the new challenging laws, at which time we will have to place you in internment. He said im just here to mail postcard to my mother and call upon you as is appropriate and naval tradition. In naval tradition. He was trying to say, my uboat can reach your shores, and you should be aware if you decide to get involved in the First World War. This was on said during her unsaid during their conversation. At the end, he said admiral, i would like to invite you down to to u53 and we would like have a nice day with you real quick before we get underway again. Of course, in naval tradition, admiral knight decided to say i will come down to the uboat. During this exchange between the American Naval officers and german sailors, but was really happening was the americans were trying to gather as much information as they could about the german submarine u53. Han was very forthright and told the americanss details about the torpedoes on board. He told the americans to vote could die very deep the boat could dive very deep innovative prospect of being counterattacked in the event of an escort being at the scene. Hans was cheerful about the whole thing. The purpose of his visit was to demonstrate to the americans the vulnerability that the United States faced in relation to german submarines and the purpose of that was to intimidate the United States to stay out of the First World War. As the boat was getting under way and heading back out, the skipper of the u53 ordered a life preserver brought up from below. He threw it into the water as there were a number of yachtsmen behind. After he threw the life preserver into the water he ordered the boat to dive. Before it starts to maneuver diving, he yells out to the trailing yachtsman from newport, good luck. For the next week, the crew of second number of ships right in the approaches to the narragansett bay, thereby trying to send the message to the United States that if you get involved in this foreign war, the First World War, there will be consequences. 1960s,he early American Naval forces were deployed to vietnamese waters. In 1964, over the gulf of tonkin, and aviator named James Stockdale was operating often aircraft carrier. Admiral stockdale is an interesting character in the history of the u. S. Naval war college. He is a medal of honor winner. And waserved in vietnam there from the very beginning of the vietnam war. Flew over the scene of the gulf of tonkin incident, and later on was shot down over North Vietnam and became the senior american prisoner of war. Issuing orders to the other prisoners of war to conduct themselves with as much composer as possible in the difficult circumstances that they faced in the hanoi hilton. Among others, john mccain was with admiral stockdale in the hanoi hilton. For their service, admiral stockdale as the senior p. O. W. Received the medal of honor in 1973 for his Heroic Service while in captivity. Later on he came to the United StatesNaval War College as president. Was instrumental in the delivery of educational content for the purposes of informing our future strategy. United states Naval War College here in newport is really the center of the u. S. Navy of the 21st century. It is through these doors from 1884 to the present day that the great American Naval thinkers came through to learn about their profession. The other thing we teach at the Naval War College is were not really here to fight the future war. We are trying to figure out strategic ways to avoid future wars through seapower. Our cities tour staff recently traveled to newport, rhode island to learn about its rich history. Learn more about newport and other stops on our tour at cspan. Org citiestoward. Youre watching American History tv, all weekend, every weekend on cspan3. Tv,ext on American History representatives from Thomas Jeffersons monticello, James Monroes highland, and James Madisons montpelier describe how they interpret slavery for visitors to the president ial plantations, and the challenging questions on the public they try to answer. This is about an hour and a half, recorded at the American Historical Association annual meeting held recently in washington, d. C. Good afternoon, everybody. I want to welcome everyone to this afternoons panel, public history and public memory. Talking about slavery at president ial plantations. I work on colonial history of enslaved people. Im very excited to be a part of this afternoons conversation. My role here is primarily to facilitate and learn. The presenters have often spent their careers work in a public history, and have been at the front lines of important efforts to situated president ial plantations back into the history of slavery, for to situate slavery back into the hi