Existing comment:
USS Constitution:
The Naval Act called for four 44-gun and two 36-gun frigates. A clause in the Act stipulated, however, that construction on the ships would cease upon a peace settlement with Algiers. ...
The Constitution, still in active duty and berthed in Boston, was designed to outmatch any ship of its class. The construction -- frames and knees of live oak -- made her almost impervious to the enemy's shot, earning her the nickname of "Old Ironsides."
The Need for a Navy:
Independence deprived the young United States of its traditional markets and the protection of the Royal Navy. Venturing into new ports exposed American merchants to new threats.
In 1785, when the powerless and impoverished United States, governed under the Articles of Confederation, was unable to meet their demands, Algerians kidnapped the crews of two American merchant vessels and held them for ransom.
In 1793, renewed war between England and France challenged American neutrality and subjected American vessels to seizure and confiscation by both of the warring powers. And, freed from European constraints, North African corsairs ranged into the Atlantic.
The Naval Act of March 1794, signed by President George Washington, marked the rebirth of the American navy, designed to protect American interests in the Mediterranean.
Quasi War with France:
The United States was a pawn in the struggle for maritime domination between England and France. Trouble erupted when Jay's Treaty of 1795 seemed to recognize England as American's primary trading partner.
Angry that the United States would turn its back on its long-time ally, France released privateers and warships to attack American commerce in the West Indies. When the American government sent its small navy to the West Indies to protect American shipping, the result was an undeclared naval war; a Quasi-War with France.
Barbary Wars:
Peace with France freed the new American Navy for other duties. Of primary concern: ongoing conflict in the Mediterranean. The Barbary, or North African, states had stepped up their demands, threatening war if increased "tributes" of money and naval stores were not met.
President Thomas Jefferson, long an opponent of tribute, ordered a "squadron of observation" to cruise of Tunis, Tripoli, and Algiers. Although the squadron's primary objective was protecting American merchant shipping, it was prepared for war.
Taking on Tripoli -- August-September 1804
With Philadelphia removed, Commodore Preble determined on more forceful action to persuade Tripoli to free its prisoners and settle with the United States. On August 3, he launched an attack on the city. While the frigate Constitution used her heavy guns to reduce the city's batteries and bomb vessels lobbed exploding shells, American and Tripolitan gunboats dueled.
While dramatic, the Battle of Tripoli did not produce the conciliatory results Preble was hoping for. He agreed to another daring venture, this time using Intrepid as a giant bomb ... with disastrous results.
To the Shores of Tripoli -- April 1805:
Soon after the Intrepid explosion, a new commodore arrived [to] take command of the Tripoli situation. Samuel Barron continued the blockade, but ended naval assaults. He did sanction a plan to oust Tripoli ruler Yusuf Karamanli.
Meanwhile, American army and marine forces gathered in Egypt and marched to the city of Derna. The Navy provided support from the brigs Argus and Hornet and schooner Nautilus. Derna fell on April 28, 1805, after a fierce two-hour battle. Facing imminent overthrow, Karamanli accepted an offered payment and released Philadelphia's kidnapped crew.
The Tripoli Monument at the Naval Academy is the oldest military monument in the United States. It honors six young officers who lost their lives, including Richard Somers, commander of Intrepid.
Return to the Mediterranean:
The capitulation of Yusuf Karamanli did not end trouble with North Africa. During the War of 1812, Algiers resumed its attacks on American shipping. In 1815, eight days after Congress ratified the treaty that ended war with England, President James Madison recommended war with Algiers.
Two squadrons were readied for service. Stephen Decatur commanded one, and William Bainbridge the other. From then until the Civil War, the United States kept a squadron in the Mediterranean, the predecessor of today's Sixth Fleet.
War of 1812
Why War?
Impressment, violations of neutral rights, and the continued British presence along northern borders drew Congress to a declaration of war on June 18, 1812.
After years of conflict with France, England won command of the sea and no longer tolerated American trade with her enemies. Britain enforced its own interpretation of maritime rights, stopping and inspecting neutral shipping and often impressing Americans. President James Monroe estimated that from 1803 to 1812, more than 6,000 American sailors had been impressed, or forcibly enlisted, into the Royal Navy.
The Frigate Actions:
Congress saw war with England as a land war, with Canada held hostage -- an "easy walk" according to Thomas Jefferson. But, the Navy anticipated a sea war; how could it fight England? John Rodgers proposed one large American squadron to hunt British merchant convoys. Stephen Decatur and William Bainbridge suggested American warships hunt singly or in pairs.
The Navy initially chose Rodgers' approach, and, on the declaration of war, Rodgers sailed with his squadron. Though the squadron showed little for its efforts, Rodgers did claim, with some justification, that the cruise drew British warships away from the American coast.
The Chase -- June 1812:
The frigate Constitution was one her way to rendezvous with Rodgers' squadron when she ran into a British squadron off the coast of New Jersey. Capt. Isaac Hull turned the ship to run from the superior British force, but the wind died.
For three days, the Constitution's crew towed the ship, keeping her out of range of British guns. Finally, a sudden heavy rain squall gave Constitution the cover she needed to make her escape.
Constitution vs Guerriere -- August 19, 1812:
In a short, hard-fought battle, the British frigate was completely demasted and forced to surrender. Constitution's captain Isaac Hull and Guerriere's captain, James Dacres, had known each other before the battle and would remain friends.
United States vs Macedonian -- October 25, 1812:
On October 11, United States' commander Stephen Decatur, received orders to sail independently from Rodgers' squadron. Five hundred miles south of the Azores, Macedonian was sighted. The two ships stood toward each other and at 9:20 action began. Decatur would prove victorious, making Macedonian the second British frigate captured in the war.
Stephen Decatur determined to use the superiority of his big guns to fight at long range. In three hours, Macedonian was a wreck and surrendered. There were 104 casualties in the British ship; only 12 in United States. Repairs at sea to Macedonian took more than two weeks.
Constitution vs Java -- December 29, 1812:
Under the command of William Bainbridge, Constitution sighted two vessels off the coast of Brazil. One ran for the protection of the coast, the other, 38-fun frigate Java, engaged the American frigate. Although Java destroyed Constitution's steering wheel and injured Bainbridge, the American's heavier guns proved decisive, completely demasting Java, killing 56 men, and mortally wounding her captain, Henry Lambert.
Constitution vs Cyane & Levant -- February 20, 1815:
Constitution sailed under the command of Charles Stewart for her last cruise of the war. Although the Treaty of Ghent, ending the war, was signed on Christmas Eve, it took weeks before Stewart found out. In this period between war and peace, Constitution met, and captured, two enemy ships, the frigate Cyane and sloop of war Levant.
The USS Constitution earned her nickname "Old Ironsides" during the War of 1812. Over the course of three battles, which resulted in the destruction or capture of four British ships, the frigate proved that the Royal Navy was not invincible and raised the morale of the American people. |