Why did the United States develop naval power from 1775-1815?
Personally I want to say the most obvious reason, which is trade and the defense of such trade but I feel like I might be overlooking some important details. Please help with suggestions
The Barbary States were seizing ships, enslaving sailors, and demanding tribute, which was pretty good motivation to build some decent frigates and convince them to stop.
ancient naval power(yes I am aware that 1815 is not ancient) was the air force and space administration all rolled up into one... it's fairly obvious why it was necessary for a nation to have that ability.