Guide to the A. T. Mahan letters, 1894 and undated
Redwood Library and Athenaeum
50 Bellevue Avenue
Newport, RI 02840
Tel: (401) 847-0292
Fax: (401) 841-5680
email: redwood@redwoodlibrary.org
Published in 2013
Collection Overview
| Title: | A. T. Mahan letters |
| Date range: | 1894 and undated |
| Creator: | Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer), 1840-1914 |
| Extent: | 0.01 linear feet (1 folder) |
| Abstract: | This collection consists of four letters written by A. T. Mahan (1840-1914), American naval officer and historian, to James R. Thursfield (1840-1923), British naval historian and journalist, and his wife. |
| Language of materials: | English |
| Repository: | Redwood Library and Athenaeum |
| Collection number: | RLC.Ms.523 |
Scope & content
This collection consists of four letters written by A. T. Mahan to his new acquaintances, Mr. and Mrs. James R. Thursfield of London, England, in 1894. James R. Thursfield (1840-1923) was a British naval historian and journalist.Access Points
Subject Names Subject Topics Subject Topics Document TypesArrangement
This collection is arranged in chronological order.
Biographical note
Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914), American naval officer and historian, was born on September 27, 1840, in West Point, New York, to Dennis Hart (1802-1871), a United States Military Academy professor, and Mary Helen (Okill) Mahan. Mahan graduated second from his class at the United States Naval Academy in 1859 and went on to serve nearly forty years of active duty in the United States Navy. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant while fighting in the American Civil War (1861-1865), was named Captain in 1885, and retired from active service in November 1896. Thayer was promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral on June 29, 1906, by an act of Congress which promoted all retired captains who had served during the Civil War.In October 1885, Mahan was invited by Stephen Luce (1827-1917), president of the newly established Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, to serve as a lecturer on naval history and tactics. Mahan was later appointed president of the Naval War College in June 1886 to January 1889 and again from July 1892 to May 1893. The lectures Mahan gave at the college became the basis for the Influence of sea power upon history, 1660-1783, published in 1890, the first of twenty books and twenty-three essays written by Mahan on this broad subject. Mahan’s works on naval history and strategies greatly influenced the buildup of naval forces among the major world powers in the years prior to World War I. Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan died on December 1, 1914, in Quogue, New York.
Access & Use
| Access to the collection: | Access is open to members and researchers at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum. |
| Use of the materials: | This collection is owned by the Redwood Library and Athenaeum. Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the Special Collections Librarian of the Redwood Library and Athenaeum. |
| Preferred citation: | A. T. Mahan letters, RLC.Ms.523, Redwood Library and Athenaeum. |
| Contact information: | Redwood Library and Athenaeum 50 Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI 02840 Tel: (401) 847-0292 Fax: (401) 841-5680 email: redwood@redwoodlibrary.org |
Administrative Information
| ABOUT THE COLLECTION | |
| Acquisition: | Gift of Capt. W. D. Puleston. |
| Processing information: | This collection was initially processed by Aimee Saunders in 2010. |
| ABOUT THE FINDING AID | |
| Author: | Finding aid prepared by Elizabeth Delmage. |
| Encoding: | Finding aid encoded by Elizabeth Delmage 2013 September 20 |
| Descriptive rules: | Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) |
| Sponsor: | Funding for processing and cataloging this collection was provided by the van Beuren Charitable Foundation. |
Additional Information
| Related material: | A. T. Mahan papers, MSS31062, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress. |
| Bibliography: |
Inventory
| Manuscripts Box 1 | Letter to James R. Thursfield |
1894 May 17 |
| Letter to Mrs. James R. Thursfield |
1894 Jun 7 |
| Letter to Mrs. James R. Thursfield |
1894 Jun 11 |
| Letter to James R. Thursfield |
undated |