Admiral Franklin Buchanan was a highly accomplished Naval Officer. He was present as a major player throughout the development of the United States Navy in the nineteenth century. Admiral Buchanan’s career, which began with the early stages of the United States Navy, is marked by so many outstanding achievements that three U.S. destroyers have been named in his honor . The events of his life shaped him into one of the most significant pioneers of Naval History. He helped found the United States Naval Academy, which completely transformed midshipmen training procedures. The foundations that he laid almost two-hundred years ago still influence midshipmen everywhere today. As recipient of the honor of first superintendent of the United States Naval Academy and the rank of first Admiral in the Confederate …show more content…
Admiral Buchanan’s family legacy of well-disciplined military officers prompted him to pursue his commissioning at a very young age. Born September 1800 in Baltimore, Maryland, grandson to two men who had played significant roles in the revolutionary war, it was inevitable that Buchanan would choose to serve. Shortly before the start of the War of 1812, Buchanan’s family moved to Philadelphia, a city with an atmosphere very similar to Baltimore’s. The actions and values of Lieutenant James Biddle and Commodore Stephen Decatur, two well-renowned heroes of the war and natives of Philadelphia, strengthened Buchanan’s resolve to join the U.S. Navy. Only a month before the end of the war, Buchanan began his career as a midshipman. His training was very different from that which midshipmen encounter