Question: when did the us navy became the biggest
Answer: The history of the United States Navy divides into two major periods : the `` Old Navy '' , a small but respected force of sailing ships that was also notable for innovation in the use of ironclads during the American Civil War , and the `` New Navy '' , the result of a modernization effort that began in the 1880s and made it the largest in the world by the 1920s .