Stephen Decatur: American Naval Hero

Stephen Decatur: American Naval Hero

There have been a lot of biographies written on Stephen Decatur and all he did during his lifetime, and most of them have been written within the last few years. However, this particular volume does stand out among them due to several reasons. One of them is the 'swashbuckling' nature of the story. There are many facts about Decatur that can be verified and that make for an exciting read, and Allison (2005) brings them all to light in a way that is difficult to ignore. The story is compelling even if one only looks at it from that angle. There are subtleties as well in this book, and many of them are vital to not only the understanding of the book but also to the interesting nature of the story. Intricately woven into what the book has to say is the story of the way America began its move from the midst of revolution into a budding empire. It was the underdog at one point, and barely hanging onto survival in a world that it saw as dangerous but also strived to conquer. It was a nation that was originally obsessed with the ideas of violence and honor but moved more toward the concepts of enterprise and commerce. This was not easy, but Decatur played a role in ensuring that the America of yesterday became the strong nation that it is today.

In writing about Stephen Decatur, Allison (2005) shows his continued interest in history. As the Assistant Professor of History, Director of American Studies, and University Archivist at Boston's Suffolk University, he is clearly interested in how this country came about and who worked to bring it to this point. He is also the author of the Crescent Obscured: The United States and the Muslim World 1776-1815 which was published in 2000, and he has edited other books as well. Allison is also involved with several different historical societies and museums in the Boston area and has been on programs on the History Channel, commenting on Charles Ponzi's scheme and the American wars against the Barbary corsairs. He has also worked on an annotated edition of the journal of John B. Dale. Dale was a Lieutenant on the U.S.S. Constitution from 1843 to 1845, sailed around the world, and drew great pictures of each of the ports that the ship paid a visit to.

Of a particular interest in the discussion in the book is the way that Decatur lost his life. He was killed by the hand of a fellow officer. There were a lot of intricacies of politics - both country and personal - during that time period. These worked to create the myth that there were individual heroes, and this is much of what Decatur's reputation actually rests on. They ascendancy of and within the organization, though, is also very important. In Decatur's case it was the United States Navy, and it was believed to have both life and supremacy that superseded only the individual. Allison (2005) is very serious about showing how much importance the Navy had to Decatur and how much importance Decatur had to the Navy, as well. Overall, this book is designed to tell the life of Decatur and everything that he went through. How he changed history is also important. Underlying this is how history has changed and the differences that Decatur caused in the making of America.

The idea that the Navy was life and supremacy and much more important than the individual there are many contributions that Decatur made. Allison (2005) points out that Decatur's contributions mostly went toward ensuring that the Navy was more professionalized and assuring that it was subservient to the control of civilians. This came at a time when the rumors of military coups were flying all over the place. There was also a great fear that there would be a standing Navy and that it would have a potential role in the toppling of the Republic. Decatur helped to guide the administration of the services that were presented by the Navy and show how they could be changed to work more efficiently and better serve the country that it was designed to protect.

Particularly interesting in the book is the way that Allison (2005) addresses the treatment of the way that Decatur was involved with the Tripolitan states. There were wars between America and the Islamic states even a long time ago, between 1803 and 1815. Decatur played a strong role in the expeditions that the Navy had against areas that are now Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria. These wars and Decatur's role in the expeditions are essential if a person is to understand the historical context of America in that region and time period and the way that the country used force in that area. There were also economic and political currents that produced many reasons for America to become involved in those areas. Not everyone realizes how much was going on in the world during that period in history. Instead, they only seem to be interested in what is happening right now, thinking that it is all new. The tensions that go along with this current time in history, though, often stem from the time period that Decatur came from and will not be leaving in the future.

Decatur is only dimly remembered by most people. When they do remember him, however, they cannot always say what they remember him for or exactly what he did. They sometimes believe that he was quoted as lauding his country whether it was right or whether it was wrong. He did in fact make a similar statement, but it was more detailed and addressed the hope that the country would always be right in the dealings that it had with foreign nations, but also that the country would be successful all the time, even if it was wrong (Allison, 2005). This is not the same thing and has a different meaning, but that does not stop a lot of people from misquoting Decatur in the misguided impression that they understand what he was trying to say and that they know exactly what he meant. Either way, Decatur knew what he was saying at the time, as well as the importance of it for the country and for the Navy at that particular time in history.

When Decatur made his comments it was in the context of the War of 1812, which was nearly disastrous in the first place. The country was very nearly divided over the declaration, then it was invaded, and that it struggled based on a lot of political decisions that were made concerning the war's conduct. At that point it was nearly divided again by a secessionist movement that got a late start but would have looked for a separate peace. Decatur was definitely not a professional orator, with all the polish that an individual like that has, but he was interested in making a case for what he believed in. The case that he made was basically that it would be easier to deal with the rest of the world from a position of superiority and victory and that there would not be any substitution for planning and preparedness.

These were what were important, and the leaders of the country needed to see that before it became too late and American fell into a position where it was not powerful and could do little to change the course of events that would keep it in a submissive position well into the future. Planning now for what was taking place and what would and needed to take place was the only way to ensure that the country continued to grow stronger. Allison (2005) addresses this issue from the point-of-view of what Decatur had to say and why, but he also frames this information and makes it stand out by discussing the opposing and contemporary viewpoint of that time. He uses as his example Mr. John Quincy Adams, who was then an experienced diplomat but who was still some years away from being President, and shows how the man wrote to his father and stated that he could not ask for America to succeed in areas where the country was clearly in the wrong.