Editing William E. Chandler (section)

====U.S. Naval resurgence====
[[File:Chicago (protected). Port bow, 1891 - NARA - 512893.jpg|thumb|180px|right|{{center|''USS Chicago''}}]]
Chandler took office during the momentous turning point of the U.S. Navy. Both President Arthur, in his 1881 annual address, and Chandler, in his 1882 annual report, believed that the U.S. Navy, as a premier fighting force, was extinct. In fact, the U.S. Navy's top warship was the [[USS Tennessee (1865)|''USS Tennessee'']], a wooden vessel that weighed 4,840 tons. The U.S. had refrained from modernizing its navy, as other nations had done. {{sfn|Paxson|1943|p=617}} By contrast, the British Navy had laid down the first all-steel warship, [[HMS Iris (1877)|HMS ''Iris'']], in 1875.

On August 5, 1882, during Chandler's first year of office, Congress authorized the building of two modern steel cruizers. On March 3, 1883, Congress authorized the funding for these vessels and for two more steel vessels. Under Chandler's direction plans were drawn up and keels laid for the [[USS Chicago (1885)|''USS Chicago'']], [[USS Boston (1884)|''USS Boston'']], [[USS Atlanta (1884)|''USS Atlanta'']], and the despatch ship [[USS Dolphin (PG-24)|''USS Dolphin'']], collectively known as the ''ABCDs''.{{sfn|Paxson|1943|p=617}} The warships were to be constructed by the John Roach Company. The new ships and their armament were to be built in the United States at a pace that American resources could supply, rather than be built by a foreign country. {{sfn|Paxson|1943|p=617}} However, several years elapsed before shipyards and foundries would be ready to construct cruizers and battleships.{{sfn|Paxson|1943|p=617}} One ship, the ''USS Chicago'', was still built with antiquated boilers over brick furnaces and furnished with sailing equipment, in addition to steam power.{{sfn|Paxson|1943|p=617}} Although Chandler was charged with favoritism in the construction of the ''USS Dolphin'', he established the precedent for a modern navy made of steel ships. {{sfn|Paxson|1943|p=617}}