ABSTRACT
On 6 September 1807, President Thomas Jefferson wrote to his friend Thomas Paine that "Gun-boats are the only water defence which can be useful to us, and protect us from the ruinous folly of a navy." But an investigation of Jefferson's defense theory reveals that he preferred a balanced, pluralistic force consisting of ships-of-the-line, frigates, smaller vessels including gunboats, floating, stationary, and moving batteries, as well as coastal fortifications, all working in unison to ensure the nation's security. Although Jefferson wrote isolated statements about the country's defense throughout his lifetime, the most complete exposition of his defense theory was his "Special Message on Gun-Boats," presented to the Senate and House on 10 February 1807. Jefferson's system, formulated piecemeal over many years, attempted to create a balanced defense for security. It included not only a navy of sea-going ships and gunboats, but also a system of coastal and harbor fortifications stretching from Maine to Louisiana.
