Which U.S. Navy captain advocated for a strong navy to support American imperialism?

The correct answer is Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan. He was a prominent naval officer and historian whose ideas significantly influenced naval strategy and U.S. foreign policy during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Mahan argued that a strong navy was essential for national greatness and advocated for the construction of a powerful fleet to protect American interests overseas, facilitate trade, and assert U.S. influence globally. His seminal work, "The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660–1783," emphasized that nations with greater naval power would be positioned to dominate international trade and secure their imperial interests. This philosophy contributed to the expansion of the U.S. Navy and underscored the importance of sea power in American imperialism.

In contrast, the other figures mentioned do not align with the specific context of promoting a strong navy in support of American imperial goals. Captain James T. Kirk is a fictional character from "Star Trek," while John Paul Jones and Horatio Nelson were influential naval figures in their own rights but are not directly linked to the late 19th-century imperialism characterized by Mahan’s ideology.