While the American Philosophical Society Library is not a treasure trove of documents on naval history, neither is it void of relevant documents. Holdings in naval history reflect the institution's collecting policy focusing on United States History to 1840 and the history of science. With a few exceptions, the bulk of naval material focuses on the Revolutionary War Navy (as seen in Benjamin Franklin's correspondence with John Paul Jones and John Barry), the Navy's role in polar exploration (e.g. Elisha Kent Kane and the 1931 Nautilus Polar Expedition), and naval officers who were members of or had business with the Society (such as Samuel Francis DuPont and George Wallace Melville).

This guide meant to provide researchers with detailed information of the Society's holding in naval history is divided into three parts. Part One lists individual collections directly related to naval history, arranged alphabetically. Part Two is a listing of prominent figures in naval history who appear in other collections. It is arranged alphabetically by topic, followed by the collection name and call number, with individual items listed chronologically under the collection. Part three is an index. Information was gathered from Steven Catlett's A New Guide to the Collections in the Library of the American Philosophical Society (Philadelphia, 1987), the manuscript department's card catalog, and I. Minis Hays' Calendar of the Papers of Benjamin Franklin in the Library of the American Philosophical Society (Philadelphia, 1908).

Note: Entries from the Benjamin Franklin Papers (B.F85) contain the volume and item number for each item. These numbers should be used when requesting material from this collection.

Researchers who do not find individuals related to their topic in this guide are encouraged to consult the above sources.