Courtney Nomiyama – Great White Fleet: Navy, Nationalism, and a New Era of American Power

Originally posted to the TR Center blog on November 1, 2021.

The Great White Fleet was one of President Roosevelt’s greatest accomplishments during his presidency. The circumnavigation of the 16 battleships around the globe not only demonstrated naval might but also sent a message loud and clear to the rest of the world: America was a world power. Prior to the Great White Fleet, America’s global ambitions were hindered by its lack of naval capability. Roosevelt had long been an ardent supporter of the navy, writing books about naval history and serving as Assistant Secretary of the Navy. The Great White Fleet was the culmination of Roosevelt’s interest in naval supremacy.

The Great White Fleet, although limited in its military utility, greatly influenced the United States at home and abroad. Domestically, the Great White Fleet galvanized a wave of nationalism. Ephemera honoring the voyage of the Great White Fleet and its significance for American power emerged. Throughout the fleet’s voyage, world leaders wrote to Roosevelt, expressing admiration and praise for the great American undertaking. Upon the fleet’s return, it was evident that Roosevelt had largely succeeded in his mission to advance America’s position on the world stage. 

Drawing on materials from the Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library, this story map explores the route of the Great White Fleet and its varied impacts on America’s identity in the early twentieth century.

Click on the map to enter the exhibit.