Six original United States frigates
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USS Constitution, one of the original six frigates of the United States Navy
Class overview
Name:	Original six frigates
Operators:	United States Navy
Preceded by:	None
Built:	1794 - 1800
In commission:	1797 - present
Planned:	6
Completed:	6
Lost:	2
Retired:	3
Preserved:	1
General characteristics

The original six frigates of the United States Navy were authorized by the Congress with the Naval Act of 1794 on 27 March 1794 at a cost of $688,888.82. Built during the formative years of the United States Navy, designer Joshua Humphreys recommended a fleet of frigates which would be powerful enough to engage other frigates of the French Navy or Royal Navy whilst being fast enough to flee a ship of the line.

Construction

In August 1785, after the Revolutionary War drew to a close, Congress sold Alliance, the last ship remaining in the Continental Navy.¹ From then until 1797, the United States' only armed maritime service was the Revenue Marine, founded in 1790 at the prompting of Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton.² During the 1790s, American merchant shipping came under harassment from both France and pirates from the Barbary Coast, necessitating the construction of a naval force to defend America's merchant marine. Piracy had not been a problem when America was under the protection of the British Empire, but after the War of Independence many foreign powers felt they could harass American merchant ships with impunity. Indeed, once the French Revolution started, Britain also started interdicting American merchant ships. In addition to this, eleven ships were seized by pirates during the 1790s, and there was little the fledgling American government could do about it.³⁴

Humphreys' diagonal riders located on the orlop deck

In late 1792, Secretary of War Henry Knox requested that shipbuilders submit plans for six vessels. The plans of naval architect Joshua Humphreys and draftsman Josiah Fox were accepted in 1793. The design which would eventually be used for the six frigates was unusual for the time, being long on keel, wide of beam, and mounting very heavy guns. Humphreys designed a diagonal rib scheme, intended to reduce hogging, and covered this in extremely heavy planking.⁵ This gave the ship's hull a strength that other, more lightly built frigates could not match. Humphreys realized that the underpopulated United States could not begin to match the European nations in the size of their navies.³ Consequently, his heavy frigate was designed to overpower other frigates, while remaining fast enough to flee ships of the line.⁶⁷ The Naval Act of 1794 provided for the construction of four ships carrying forty-four guns each, and two ships carrying thirty-six guns each by purchase or otherwise.³⁸ Josiah Fox caused Chesapeake (one of the intended 44's) to be constructed as a 36⁹ and eventually all three of the 36's would be re-rated as 38's.¹⁰

Constitution launching into Boston Harbor 21 October 1797.

In March 1796, as construction of the frigates slowly progressed, a peace accord was announced between the United States and the Dey of Algiers. In accordance with the Naval Act of 1794, a clause that specifically directed that construction of the frigates be discontinued if peace was established, construction on all six ships was halted. After some debate and prompting by President Washington, Congress agreed to continue to fund the construction of the three ships nearest to completion: United States,¹¹ Constellation¹² and Constitution.¹³¹⁴ By late 1798 however, France began to seize American merchant vessels and the attempt at a diplomatic resolution had resulted in the XYZ Affair, prompting Congress to approve funds for completion of the remaining three frigates: President,¹⁵Congress¹⁶ and Chesapeake.¹⁷

The six ships authorized were constructed in different shipyards. There were two designs, one for a 44 gun frigate that would become Constitution, President, and United States. The second of the two designs were the 38 gun frigates Congress and Constellation. Chesapeake was originally intended as a 44 but was instead built by Josiah Fox more like a 36, resulting in what amounted to a unique design.

The frigates

United States

United States was built in Philadelphia, launched on 10 May 1797, and commissioned on 22 February 1797. On 25 October 1812, United States fought and captured the frigate HMS Macedonian, the first enemy ship brought to the United States of America as a prize.^{citation needed} United States was decommissioned on 24 February 1849 and placed in ordinary at Norfolk, Virginia. In 1861 while in ordinary at Norfolk, the ship was seized and commissioned into the Confederate States Navy, who later scuttled the ship. In 1862 Union forces raised the scuttled ship and retained control until she was broken up in 1865.

Constellation

Constellation was built in Baltimore, launched on 7 September 1797. On 9 February 1799, Constellation fought and captured the French frigate L'Insurgente. This was the first major victory by an American-designed and -built warship. In February 1800, Constellation fought the French frigate La Vengeance. Although the frigate was not captured or sunk, La Vengeance was so badly damaged that her captain intentionally grounded the ship to prevent it from sinking. Constellation was struck in 1853 and broken up. Some timbers were re-used in the building of a new Constellation and caused a discrepancy on which ship was preserved in Baltimore until 1999 when the preserved vessel was proved to be the second Constellation.

Constitution

USS Constitution under sail for the first time in 116 years on 21 July 1997.

Constitution was built in Boston at Edmund Hartt's shipyard, and launched on 21 October 1797 and remains the oldest commissioned vessel afloat in the world.^{Note 1} Her first duty was to provide protection for American merchant shipping during the Quasi War with France and the defeat of the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War. Her most famous era of naval warfare took place during the War of 1812 against England, when she captured numerous merchant ships and defeated four English warships: HMS Guerriere, HMS Java, HMS Cyane and HMS Levant. The battle with the Guerriere earned her the nickname of "Old Ironsides" and public adoration that has repeatedly saved her from scrapping. She continued to actively serve the nation as flagship in the Mediterranean and African squadrons and made a circumnavigation of the world in the 1840s. During the American Civil War she served as a training ship for the United States Naval Academy and carried artwork and industrial displays to the Paris Exposition of 1878. Retired from active service in 1881, she served as a receiving ship until designated a museum ship in 1907. In 1931 she made a three year 90-port tour of the nation and in 1997 she finally sailed again under her own power for her 200th birthday.

Chesapeake

Chesapeake was built at the Gosport Navy Yard, launched on 2 December 1799. The Chesapeake was the only one of the six frigates to be disowned by Joshua Humphreys because of liberties taken by her Master Constructor Josiah Fox during construction relating to overall dimensions. On 22 June 1807, what has become known as the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair occurred when the Chesapeake was fired upon by HMS Leopard for refusing to comply with a search for deserters from the Royal Navy. After several quick broadsides to which the Chesapeake replied with only one gun, the Chesapeake struck her colors. HMS Leopard refused the surrender, searched the Chesapeake, captured four deserters and sailed to Halifax. Chesapeake was captured on 1 June 1813 by HMS Shannon shortly after sailing from Boston, Massachusetts. Taken into Royal Navy service, she was sold and broken up at Portsmouth, England in 1820.

Congress

Congress was built at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, launched on 15 August 1799. In 1824 she was placed in ordinary at Norfolk, and in 1829 became a receiving ship there. In 1834 Congress was found unfit for naval service and ordered broken up.

President

President was built in New York City, launched on 10 April 1800. On 16 May 1811, what has become known as the Little Belt Affair occurred when the President mistook HMS Little Belt for the frigate HMS Guerriere and engaged in a naval battle. HMS Little Belt was almost destroyed before the action stopped. On 23 September 1813, President captured the schooner HMS Highflyer. President was captured on 15 January 1815 by a Royal Navy squadron one day out of New York. Commissioned as HMS President, she was broken up at Portsmouth, England in 1818.

Historical facts

• The only surviving ship among the Original Six is Constitution, which is still in commission and is the oldest commissioned ship in the world that remains afloat.

Notes

References

• This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.

Bibliography

• Fowler, William M. (1984). Jack Tars and Commodores: The American Navy, 1783-1815. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. OCLC 10277756. 
• Lardas, Mark (2003). American Heavy Frigates 1794–1826, New Vanguard 79. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-630-5. 
• Toll, Ian W (2006). Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the US Navy. W. W. Norton. ISBN 978-0-393-05847-5. OCLC 70291925.