Why did the U.S. Navy decline after the American Civil War?

Following the American Civil War, the United States Navy experienced a period of significant stagnation and neglect that lasted for many years. While the Union navy had been a vital component in the prosecution of the war, the service was largely deprioritized in the post-war era.1

This decline was not due to a single factor but rather a combination of shifting national priorities and the rapid evolution of naval technology. During the mid-19th century, the Industrial Revolution fundamentally transformed naval warfare, as wooden-hulled sailing ships were rendered obsolete by steam-powered iron vessels. The transition to this new era of ironclads required complex advancements in propulsion, armament, and armor, as well as new techniques in shipbuilding.23

Because the path forward for warship design remained uncertain for decades following the war, the U.S. government did not prioritize the modernization of the fleet until the 1880s, when Congress finally authorized the construction of new steel warships.1