Six Frigates by Toll
Ref: Ian Toll (2006). Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the US Nay. Norton.
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Summary
First, its purpose, design, and deployment must be defensive. Second, it must not be exploited as a source of patronage and corruption by the maritime and shipbuilding interests. Third, and most important, it must be affordable.-Thomas Jefferson (on the USN).
The sole purpose of the original six frigates was to police the Med against piracy.
The 19c US Navy was chiefly occupied in suppressing piracy and the slave trade.
The life of a naval officer was a life of unremitting toil, close attention to detail, and intense devotion to excellence in every aspect of his duty and deportment.
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Six Frigates
Joshua Humphreys proposed to build large, heavily armed, fast sailing frigates- ships weighing well over 1,000 tons, with a deck length >175’, mounting a battery of 30x 24lb long guns on the gun deck and a smaller battery of carronades on the upper deck.
When pitted against a battleship, the American frigate would enjoy one of the most important advantages that any warship can ever have; the option to either fight or flee, to outrun or outgun.
The sole purpose of the original six frigates was to police the Med against piracy.
The 44-gun frigates were built in Boston, NY, Philadelphia, and Norfolk.
The 36-gun frigates were built in Portsmouth and Baltimore.
The war office leased shipyards in each of the 6 seaports, transforming them into federal installations and calling them “Navy Yards.”
Washington simply chose the first 5 names on the list: US, President, Congress, Constitution, and Constellation. The 6th frigate (Norfolk) would later be christened Chesapeake.
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Quasi War
For the Quasi War, George Washington had agreed to come out of retirement to serve as CIC of the 10,000 man “new provisional army.”
Napoleon described the three-year Quasi-War as a “family quarrel.”
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Barbary Pirates
The Barbary States: Tripoli, Algiers, Tunis, Morocco whose corsairs operated out of ancient seaports along the North African coast.
In response to piracy against American merchant shipping, Adams reached the sober opinion: “it to be wisest for us to negotiate and pay the necessary sum, without loss of time.” Jefferson concluded the US should fight: “1. Justice is in favor of this opinion. 2. Honor favors it. 3. It will procure us respect in Europe, and respect is a safeguard to interest. Jefferson proposed building a fleet with aggregate force of 150 guns, estimating the initial cost of 450,000 pounds and the subsequent annual expenses at 45,000 pounds. Jefferson was anxious to show the world that the US was capable of forcing Tripoli to terms without the intervention of other powers.
I hope I shall never again be sent to Algiers with tribute unless I am authorized to deliver it from the mouth of our cannon.-Bainbridge, USN.
The funds spent to keep a squadron active in the Med surpassed the highest estimates of what it would take simply to bribe the Tripolitans, under Yusuf, off.
Yusuf of Tripoli’s agent on Malta approached Preble and offered a 5-year truce, to begin immediately with no payment of money. Preble refused: he would accept nothing less than a return of the prisoner’s and a “solid peace. The negotiation for ransom and peace must be separate, as we will not pay 1 dollar for peace.”
After problems with desertion to British ships Preble decided “at Malta ships lay so near the shore that it will be impossible to prevent desertion, which has determined me to make Syracuse the general rendezvous of the Squadron.”
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War of 1812
Primary Cause: British attacks on US ships, encouragement of Native American attacks on settlers, and impressment of sailors.
Outcome: Neither side clearly wins, but causes a wave of nationalism in US.
US Navy: 3 squadrons commanded by John Rodgers, Stephen Decatur, and William Bainbridge. The 44-gun frigates President, Constitution, and United States, would serve as flagships. Each would be accompanied by one of the smaller frigates and a brig. Each commodore was at liberty to choose his own cruising ground, based on his judgement of how best “to afford protection to our trade and to annoy the enemy.
Hamilton asked two senior captains- John Rodgers (commanding Pres, in NY) and Stephen Decatur (commanding US, in Norfolk)- to advise the department in choosing a deployment strategy that “will enable our little navy to annoy in the utmost extent the trade of Great Britain while it least exposes it to the immense naval force of that government.”
Both suggested the frigates be deployed in commerce-raiding cruises far from American shores; ~500 British merchant vessels fell into American hands during the first 7 months of the war.
British Navy: The British Fleet was commanded by Admiral Warren and was expected to hunt the American frigates, patrol the sea lanes against American privateers, provide convoys for British merchantmen, and maintain a commercial blockade of the American coast.
In Feb 1813, Warren had a powerful force under his command: In North America, 15 x 74-gun battleships, 15 frigates, 20 sloops of war, and nearly 30 unrated vessels. In the West Indies, he had another battleship and 4 frigates; in Newfoundland, a 50 fun ship and 2 frigates; off Brazil, a battleship, 2 frigates, and 2 brigs.
The War of 1812 was costing Britain about 10M pounds a year. The entire enlisted payroll of the Royal Navy was only 3M pounds. Why not double or even triple the pay of every seaman in the navy? It would be cheaper than fighting for the right to impress men from foreign ships, while probably eliminating the need to do so.
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Misc Quotes
“The American people wish peace with France and all the world on fair and honorable terms, but on any other we disdain it. Yes sir, we spurn at the idea.”-Truxton, USN.
“Though 16 years old, I already begin to think myself a man! And why not? Alexander, it is said, was a little man, yet fame gives him the credit and honor of possessing a great soul! May not, sir, great feats be performed by a little David as well as by a Goliath? Methinks I already hear the roaring of the cannons, and m y soul, impatient of delay, impetuously hurries me on to the scene of action!”-Charlie’s Letter to become a Midshipman.
"I like a little rebellion now and then," and later added in a letter to her son in law that the "tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is nature's manure."-Jefferson to Abigail Adams.
“A nation, despicable by its weakness, forfeits even the privilege of being neutral.”-Federalist #11 by Hamilton.
“In human affairs…it seems to be a law inflexible and inexorable that he who will not risk cannot win.”-US Admiral John Paul Jones.
“The trident of Neptune is the scepter of the world.”-John Quincy Adams.
“Possessing a chosen country, with room enough for our descendants to the thousandth and thousandth generation, the people of the US would seek honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.”-Thomas Jefferson.
“Public Debt begat high taxes, corruption, and repression. It gave rise to a parasitical class of financial speculators. It would cause America to duplicate the English career of debt, corruption and rottenness, closing with revolution.”-Thomas Jefferson.
“This ball of liberty, I believe most piously, is now so well in motion that it will roll around the globe.”-Thomas Jefferson (on the French Revolution).
“Using Presidential authority whenever congressional authorization was not needed, Jefferson and his cabinet simply dismissed federal officeholders they considered superfluous. The state dept closed all foreign embassies except those in Madrid, Paris, and London. The treasury depart internal revenue inspectors were fired en masse. “We are hinting out and abolishing multitudes of useless offices,” Jefferson told his son in law in June; “striking off jobs, etc, etc. The magnitude of federal waste they were finding, he told James Monroe, was even greater than the Republicans had expected: “agencies upon agencies in every part of the Earth, and for the most useless or mischievous purposes, and all of these opening doors for fraud and embezzlement far beyond ostensible profits of the agency. These are things of existence of which no man dreamt, and we are lopping them down silently to make as little noise as possible.”
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People
Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819): American Naval Commander; best known for defeating a British Naval Squadron at the Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812.
Thomas Macdonough (1783-1825): American Naval Officer; best known for defeating a British Naval Squadron at the Battle of Lake Champlain.
James Lawrence (1781-1813): American Naval Officer; best known for his last words “don’t give up the ship!” which he yelled while dying during battle aboard his ship the USS Chesapeake.
Stephen Decatur (1779-1820): American Naval Officer and Commodore; best known for his exploits in the War against the Barbary Pirates.
William Bainbridge (1774-1833): American Naval Officer and Commodore under six presidents; served in the war against the Barbary Pirates and the War of 1812 with many victories at sea.
Isaac Hull (1773-1843): American Naval Officer; commanded several of the first six frigates including the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides) serving in the Quasi War, the War against the Barbary Pirates, and the War of 1812.
William Eaton (1764-1811): American Army Officer; best known for leading an expedition across the Libyan Desert during the War against the Barbary Pirates.
Preble (1761-1807): American Naval Officer who led the squadron against the Barbary Pirates and formed the Officer corps that would later command the Navy in the War of 1812.
John Paul Jones (1747-1792): US Naval Hero of the American Revolutionary War; a Scotsman, who captained two successful hit and run cruises in British Coastal Waters, raiding isolated seaports in England and Scotland, taking dozens of prizes, and defying the Royal Navy cruisers dispatched to hunt him down.
Benjamin Stoddert (1744-1813): First Secretary of the US Navy.
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826): American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, philosopher, and founding father who served as 3rd POTUS.
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Terminology
Frigate: An intermediate class of warship with her principal battery of guns mounted on one fully covered gun deck, though often with additional mounted weapons (as with the battleship) on the quarterdeck and forecastle. Frigates might carry as many as 40-50 guns, or as few as 20; most carried between 28-38.
Naval Blockade: Strikes simultaneously at an enemy’s freedom of movement, supply lines, and economic vitality while protecting commercial shipping by preventing enemy privateers and cruisers from sallying out of port or returning with prizes; chips away the foundations of the enemy’s seapower by denying him the means to keep his fleet at sea.
Rule of 1756: English rule that denies any nation the right to carry cargo on a route that would be denied to that nation’s vessels in a time of peace.
Ship of the Line (aka Battleship): Huge, heavy, and relatively slow, carrying some 74-guns on two fully armed gun decks, with additional weapons mounted on the quarterdeck and forecastle. Their frames, or “scantlings,” were so massive that they could withstand heavy enemy fire.
Sloops (aka Brigs): A wide variety of smaller unrated vessels with three masts, generally carrying fewer than 20 guns, all on the upper deck.
‘To Sail Before the Mast’: Officers sailing as common seamen.
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Chronology
16 Dec, 1907- 22 Feb, 1909: The Great White Fleet; a group of US Naval Battleships, completes a goodwill circumnavigation of the globe in order to advertise American naval power and to drill. No fleet of capital ships had ever made such a voyage. When congress balked at the expense, Roosevelt ordered the ships to sail for the Pacific using existing resources, and then dared Congress not to appropriate funds for the fleets return.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1902-1906: POTUS Roosevelt convinces Congress to build 10 first class battleships, 4 armored cruisers, and 17 smaller vessels. Naval spending rises ~40%, surpassing $100M for the first time. By 1906, the US had more battleships afloat than any other naval power except GB.-Six Frigates by Toll.
21 Apr- 10 Dec, 1898: The Spanish American War is fought between Spain and the USA.-Six Frigates by Toll.
25 Apr, 1898: Admiral George Dewey, commander of the Asiatic Squadron at Hong Kong surprises and destroys the Spanish Fleet at Manila Bay bringing the Philippines under American control.-Six Frigates by Toll.
21 Apr, 1898: The US declares war on Spain after the USS Maine is sunk in Havana Harbor. The US gain control of the Philippines, Hawaii, Guam, the Samoan Islands, Cuba, and Puerto Rico.-Six Frigates by Toll.
15 Feb, 1898: ‘Remember the Maine!’ After the USS Maine is sunk in Havana Harbor, Roosevelt orders Admiral George Dewey, Commander of the Asiatic Squadron at Hong Kong to prepare to attach the Spanish fleet in the Philippines. When McKinley was slow to ask for a declaration of war, Roosevelt privately remarked that the President had “the backbone of a chocolate éclair.”-Six Frigates by Toll.
Dec, 1823: Monroe Doctrine (largely formulated by US SecState John Quincy Adams) decrees that the America’s “are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers…that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety….we could not view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing (the Latin American republics), or controlling in any other manner their destiny, by any European power, in any other light than as the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition towards the US.”-Six Frigates by Toll.
April, 1816: US Congress passes an act for the gradual Increase of the Navy, authorizing the construction of 9 battleships and 12 heavy frigates at a projected cost of $1M/yr for several years.-Six Frigates by Toll.
15 Dec, 1815: The Barbary Wars are declared ended by POTUS Madison (U. Michigan).
3 Jul, 1815: The US fleet under Decatur destroys several Algerian ships before suing for peace. William Shaler negotiates the treaty that ends the practice of paying tribute, frees American and European slaves from Algiers, and secures American shipping rights in the Mediterranean. American squadrons continue patrolling the Mediterranean (U. Michigan).
18 June, 1815: The Battle of Waterloo; Allied forces under Wellington defeat French forces under Napoleon.-Six Frigates by Toll.
15 May, 1815: A USN Fleet commanded by Decatur deploys to the Mediterranean (U. Michigan).
3 Mar, 1815: The US declares war on Algiers (U. Michigan).
Mar, 1815: Napoleon departs Elba, returning in triumph to Paris.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Apr, 1814: Abdication of Napoleon, who is exiled to the Mediterranean island of Elba.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1814-1815: The Barbary Pirates; the USN under Bainbridge and Decatur end Algerian, Libyan, and Tunisian piracy targeting US vessels.-Six Frigates by Toll.
3 Jul- Summer, 1815: With the guns of Decatur’s squadron trained on Algiers, the Dey of Algiers signs a treaty forswearing future tribute and releasing American prisoners with no payment of ransom. Decatur sails on to Tunis and Tripoli, extracting similar concessions, as well as cash payments to compensate American ship owners for their recent losses. The US would never again encounter problems with the Barbary pirates.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Jun, 1815: Decatur’s naval squadron captures the Algerian frigate, Mashuda.-Six Frigates by Toll.
20 May, 1815: A nine-ship USN squadron under the command of Stephen Decatur aboard the Constellation sets sail from NY.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1814: The US declares War against Algiers, which had resumed attacks on US shipping in the Mediterranean. Two squadrons are deployed to the Med, one in Boston under Bainbridge, and one in NY, under Decatur.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Oct, 1813: Battle of Leipzig; French forces under Napoleon are defeated, allowing the allied armies to mass on the Rhine, apparently preparing to drive into the heart of France.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Late, 1812: The USN commissions the 74-gun battleships Independence, Washington, and Franklin, the 44-gun frigates Guerriere and Java, and the world’s first steam powered Frigate, the Fulton.-Six Frigates by Toll.
18 Jun, 1812- 18 Feb, 1815: The War of 1812 is fought between the US and the UK. Neither side wins.-Six Frigates by Toll.
20 Feb, 1815: USS Constitution defeats HMS Cyanne and HMS Levant East of Madeira.-Six Frigates by Toll.
11 Feb, 1816: HMS Favorite, a British sloop of war arrives in NY under a flag of truce, bearing news of the Treaty of Ghent.-Six Frigates by Toll.
8 Jan, 1815: The Battle of New Orleans; British Forces led by General Sir Edward Pakenham with ~10K men (including those in reserve) conduct an amphibious assault of New Orleans to enable the British to interdict navigation of the Mississippi River. With the American forces under Major General Andrew Jackson fortified, the British lose 291 KIA/1262 WIA and 484 captured including 3 Generals, 7 Colonels, and 75 Field Officers to the Americans- 6x KIA, 7x WIA.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Jan, 1815: USS President commanded by Admiral Decatur surrenders to a British squadron comprised of HMS Majestic, Endymion, Pomone, and Tenedos. Decatur was resolved to fight and suffered 25 KIA, 60 WIA.-Six Frigates by Toll.
24 Dec, 1814: The Treaty of Ghent is signed, ending the War of 1812. The treaty did not address any of the issues that had promoted the American declaration of War including that of impressment, however the practice came to an end.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Fall, 1814: Treaty of Gent Negotiations; the Americans reject British demands for a buffer state in the NW and that additional territories along the border be ceded to Canada. Without peace with the US, the UK would be forced to carry on the war for another year, at least. Consequently, Lord Liverpool and his UK ministers worried about the high economic, political, and diplomatic costs of the war, particularly as British forces were needed in Europe. The Americans demanded that they would negotiate only on the basis of status quo ante bellum- that is, “status before the war,” or a restoration of all occupied territories.-Six Frigates by Toll.
12 Sep, 1814: The British fleet under Admiral Cochrane anchors within cannon-shot of Fort McHenry, the bedrock of the Boston’s defense, and bombards the city. Georgetown lawyer and military officer, Francis Scott Key, witnessed the night bombardment from the deck of a truce ship, a few miles down the Patapsco. Moved by the sight of the American flag flying over the ramparts illuminated in the glare of the Congreve rockets and in seeming defiance of the mortar shells bursting all around it, Key, who wrote verse on the side, reached for his pen and jotted down a few lines. The following day he reworked them into a poem, later set to music, which entitled “The star-spangled banner.”-Six Frigates by Toll.
6-11 Sept, 1814: The Battle of Plattsburgh; US Commandant Thomas Macdonough engages and defeats a superior British Squadron on Lake Champlain.-Six Frigates by Toll.
24 Aug, 1814: The Battle of Bladensburg; the British quickly defeat US forces. After resting for two hours, they march on DC, setting fire to the city and then return to their ships. In 11 days, the British had penetrated 80km inland, trounced an army twice the size of their own, occupied and wrecked the American capital, and escaped to the safety of their fleet, having suffered casualties of only 64 killed and 185 wounded.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Flames devoured both the house and senate wings of the capitol, the white house, the treasury, the war and navy office buildings, and the great bridge across the Potomac. The library of Congress, a collection that had been largely assembled by Jefferson, was a total loss. Secretary Jones had left orders that the Washington Navy Yard, with all its ammo and naval stores, must be destroyed rather than permitted to fall into the hands of the enemy.-Six Frigates by Toll.
13 Aug, 1814: The British under Admiral Cochrane, invade the US with 4000 men.-Six Frigates by Toll.
27 Jun, 1814: In a secret letter sent to the American negotiating team in Gent, US President Madison drops the one stipulation on which two years of war had been fought; “It has been decided that…you may omit any stipulation on the subject of impressment, if found indispensably necessary to terminate (the war). You will of course not recur to this expedient until all your efforts to adjust the controversy in a more satisfactory manner have failed.”-Six Frigates by Toll.
18 Jul, 1814: The British order commanders to burn all American towns, houses, and private property that come within their reach.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Feb, 1814: A British fleet under Admiral Cockburn, arrives in the Chesapeake.-Six Frigates by Toll.
12 Nov, 1813: Halifax is struck by a devastating hurricane, beaching ~50 ships, including British Admiral Warren’s Flagship, the 74-gun San Domingo.-Six Frigates by Toll.
5 Oct, 1813: The Battle of Thames (aka Battle of Moraviantown); US forces partnered with the Shawnee under Tecumseh defeat a combined British and Indian force near Ontario. Tecumseh is killed in battle.-Six Frigates by Toll.
10 Sept, 1813: The British Lake Erie Squadron is defeated by US CAPT Oliver Hazard Perry, stating “We have met the enemy and they are ours.” Perry’s flagship, USS Lawrence, sailed into action flying a banner inscribed with CAPT Lawrence’ last words: “Don’t give up the Ship.” The British propose peace negotiations.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1 Jun, 1813: HMS Shannon defeats the USS Chesapeake. Of the 150 men stationed on the Chesapeake’s spar deck, 100 were KIA/WIA in the first 2 minutes of action, including nearly all the American officers. Below, CAPT Lawrence, mortally wounded, yelled “Don’t give up the ship!” In total, 228 men lay dead or wounded (Shannon- 23 KIA, 58 WIA, Chesapeake- 48 KIA, 99 WIA).-Six Frigates by Toll.
Mar, 1813: The USG passes the ‘Torpedo Act’ legalizing “any person or persons to, sink, or destroy any British armed vessels of war…and for that purpose to use torpedoes, submarine instruments, or any other destructive machines whatever.”-Six Frigates by Toll.
Feb, 1813: The USG enact a law forbidding the employment of any foreign citizen on board any American vessel, to take effect at the end of the war.-Six Frigates by Toll.
12 Nov, 1812: USS Constitution under Bainbridge defeats HMS Java.-Six Frigates by Toll.
27 Oct, 1812: The US reject a truce from the British government. US SecState James Monroe responds to British Admiral Warren’s offer that peace negotiations must be preceded by a British pledge to cease impressing seamen from American ships.-Six Frigates by Toll.
25 Oct, 1812: The USS United States defeat and captures HMS Macedonian near Madeira.-Six Frigates by Toll.
19 Aug, 1812: USS Constitution defeats HMS Guerriere. During the battle, one of Guerriere’s 18pounder balls bounced harmlessly back into the sea after striking the Constitution. A member of the crew exclaimed: “Her sides are made of iron!” the remark was widely reported in the press, and the nickname stuck: “Old Ironsides.”-Six Frigates by Toll.
6 Aug, 1812: British Admiral Sir John Warren is named ‘Commander in chief of HM Squadron of the Halifax and West India Stations, and down the whole coast of America’.-Six Frigates by Toll.
17 July, 1812: The USS Constitution runs into a group of 5 HMS warships off the Chesapeake, fleeing them successfully in a 3-day chase.-Six Frigates by Toll.
23 Jun, 1812: USS President, USS Congress, and USS United States attack the HMS Belvidere (who did not know that the US and British were at war). The British ship escapes in the night.-Six Frigates by Toll.
18 Jun, 1812: The War of 1812 begins; the USG declares war on the UK.-Six Frigates by Toll.
12 Jun, 1812: The ‘Orders of Council’ are repealed by British Lord Castlereagh.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1 Jun, 1812: US President Madison delivers his war message to congress: “A series of acts hostile to the US as an independent and neutral nation.” He cited incursions into American territorial waters, impressment of American seamen (a crying enormity), confiscations of American ships and property, paper blockades, and alleged incitements of Indians in the NW territories.-Six Frigates by Toll.
May 19, 1812: The British refuse to withdraw the offending Orders in Council. Madison prepares to ask Congress for a Declaration of War. Admiralty orders are dispatched to Halifax and Newfoundland, alerting local naval commanders to the likelihood of hostilities and instructing them, should war be declared, “to attack, take or sink, burn or destroy, all ships or vessels belonging to the US or to the citizens thereof.”-Six Frigates by Toll.
11 May, 1812: Assassination of UK PM Percival by a deranged assassin while entering the House of Commons. His successor, Lord Liverpool, favored a more pragmatic policy towards the Americans.-Six Frigates by Toll.
April 1812: The USG places a 90-day embargo on England.-Six Frigates by Toll.
May 17 1811: USS President defeats HMS Little Belt killing 9 and wounding a dozen British sailors. Both ships sail off after battle.-Six Frigates by Toll.
April, 1811: HMS Frigate Guerriere interdicts American shipping off NY and impresses several American seamen into her crew.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Feb, 1811: The USG re-asserts non-importation against England. The British Government charge that the Cadore letter had been a ruse and that Madison favored France. Anglo-American relations deteriorate.-Six Frigates by Toll.
5 Aug, 1810: French Foreign Minister, the Duc de Cadore, writes a letter vowing to withdraw the Berlin and Milan Decrees (which put limits on neutral shipping) if the US would impose a policy of non-intercourse with Great Britain.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1809: The USG enacts a bill to increase naval enlistment from 1440 to 2000 and to fit out, man, and deploy “all the frigates and other armed vessels of the US.”-Six Frigates by Toll.
7 Mar, 1809: The USG enacts the Non-Intercourse Act to replace the Embargo Act, reinstating trade with all nations except England and France. Responding to the non-intercourse laws, napoleon issued the Rambouillet Decree, by which American ships and cargoes in French controlled ports were seized without warning or explanation.-Six Frigates by Toll.
22 Dec, 1807: The Embargo Act is signed into Law by POTUS Jefferson, prohibiting all foreign trade and decreeing that no American ship would depart for any “foreign port or place.” The Act devastates the American Economy, with exports plunging from $180M in 1807 to $22M in 1808.-Six Frigates by Toll.
11 Nov, 1807: The “Orders of Council” are decreed by the British, requiring American merchant vessels to stop at a British seaport and apply for a British license before touching at any continental European port.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Sept, 1807: Bombardment of Copenhagen by the British fleet. Although Denmark was neutral, threat of a French invasion left the British concerned that the Danish fleet would fall into Napoleon’s hands.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1807: The US Mediterranean squadron is withdrawn and the Barbary states resume capturing American merchant vessels (U. Michigan).
22 Jun, 1807: HMS Leopard attacks USS Chesapeake, boarding the vessel and looking for Royal Navy deserters.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Nov, 1806: The ‘Berlin Decree’ is issued by Napoleon, placing the entirety of the British Isles in a state of Blockade.-Six Frigates by Toll.
2 Jul, 1806: The USG issues a proclamation ordering all British naval vessels “now within the harbors or water of the US immediately and without any delay to depart from the same.” If the British refused to comply, local officials were to prohibit any commerce or communication with them, and punish any citizen who supplied them with fresh water, provisions, or piloting services.-Six Frigates by Toll.
18 Apr, 1806: The Non-Importation Act is signed into Law by US President Thomas Jefferson, barring the importation of all “luxuries” and manufactured goods from Great Britain.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Spring, 1806: The presence of the HMS Cambrian and the HMA Leander off NY began to seem more and more like a peacetime blockade.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Mid Dec, 1805: 5 of the 6 original USS frigates were in the yard, either dismantled or in the process of being dismantled. Only the Constitution remained in service, patrolling in the Med against renewed aggression by the Barbary States.-Six Frigates by Toll.
2 Dec, 1805: The Battle of Austerlitz; French forces under Napoleon defeat Austrian forces making the French the masters of Continental Europe. The UK and France enter full-scale economic warfare.-Six Frigates by Toll.
16-20 Oct, 1805: The Battle of Ulm; French forces under Napoleon defeat the Austrians and Russians.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Oct, 1805: The Battle of Trafalgar; the British Navy under the command of Admiral Horatio Nelson, defeat the combined French and Spanish Fleets.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Oct, 1805: Publication of “War in Disguise or the Frauds of Neutral Flags” by James Stephen, arguing that Americans had conspired to circumvent trade restrictions to undermine the British war efforts, and should be regarded as Napoleon’s collaborators.-Six Frigates by Toll.
22 Jul, 1805: Seizure of American merchant vessels Essex by British privateers following a legal ruling that Essex had circumvented the ‘Rule of 1756’ after unloading cargo of Spanish-bought goods in Salem, Mass, paying import duties, reloading the cargo and sailing for Havana. The ruling prompts seizures of hundreds of American merchant ships all throughout the Atlantic. Madison composes a 200pg treatise attacking the legality of the Essex decision, entitled simply “An Examination of British Doctrine.”-Six Frigates by Toll.
1805-1807: Early USNA midshipmen attend daily classes in writing, math, and navigation aboard the frigate Congress as she lay moored in the East branch near the Washington Navy yard.-Six Frigates by Toll.
11 Jul, 1804: Death of US Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton; killed in a dual by VPOTUS Aaron Burr in Weehawken.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1804: The Louisiana Purchase; the USA under POTUS Jefferson purchases French- American land holdings from Napoleon.-Six Frigates by Toll.
May, 1803: Collapse of the Peace of Amiens; war between Britain and France resumes.-Six Frigates by Toll.
16 Mar, 1802: The USG under POTUS Jefferson enacts the ‘Peace Establishment Act,’ reducing the officer corps to 9 captains, 36 lieutenants, and 150 midshipmen. Of the fleet, only 13 frigates would be kept in the service, and 7 of these would be laid up in ordinary.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1801-1805: The War of the Barbary Pirates; the USN defeats the Barbary States, ending piracy in the Med targeting US vessels. Piracy resumes shortly after.
3 June, 1805: US-Tripolitan Treaty; the US would make no payment for peace or tribute, but it would pay $60,000 as ransom for the American prisoners.-Six Frigates by Toll.
13 May, 1805: The Kingdom of Naples provides 6x gunboats, 2x bomb ketches, 6x long 24lb cannon, and a discrete quantity of shot, match, shells, gunpowder, and other supplies to US Commodore Preble’s squadron. All of this would be presented to the Americans without charge, “under the Title of a Friendly Loan.”-Six Frigates by Toll.
27 Apr, 1805: The US attack Derna with land forces under Eaton (8 US Marines, ~75 Greek Mercenaries, and ~300 Arabs & Bedouins) and naval forces under USN CAPT Hull. Together, they take the fort of Derna (U. Michigan).
3 Aug-11 Sep, 1804: The Battle of Tripoli; commanded by US CDRE Preble.-Six Frigates by Toll.
9 Sep, 1804: USS President and USS Constellation arrive off Tripoli to take over for Preble. The ships inadvertently collide while conducting change of command. Both officers are silent.-Six Frigates by Toll.
2000, 3 Sept 1804: USS Intrepid slips her moorings and sails in toward Tripoli harbor.-Six Frigates by Toll.
2 Sep, 1804: Attempted fireship mission to destroy the Tripolitan fleet commanded by Richard Somers with one other office and 10 enlisted. The fireship detonates prematurely killing all on board.-Six Frigates by Toll.
29 Aug, 1804: US CDRE Preble sends the brig Argus into Tripoli harbor under a white flag of truce to arrange a prisoner exchange.-Six Frigates by Toll.
0300, 27 Aug, 1804: USN gunboats open fire on the Tripolitan flotilla.-Six Frigates by Toll.
24 Aug, 1804: The USN conduct a night attack on Tripoli Harbor.-Six Frigates by Toll.
18 Aug, 1804: USN LT Decatur and Isaac Chauncey take two small boats and reconnoiter the Tripoli harbor and its defenses.-Six Frigates by Toll.
11 Aug, 1804: US Commodore Preble, hoping to end the war before his replacement Commodore Barron arrives, raises his offer for a peace settlement: $100K ransom for the crew of the Philadelphia and $20K for a ‘consular present’.-Six Frigates by Toll.
9 Aug, 1804: US Commodore Preble raises his offer for a peace settlement: $80K ransom for the crew of the PHILADELPHIA and $10K for a ‘consular present’.-Six Frigates by Toll.
4 Aug, 1804: With 9 men, Stephen Decatur boards an enemy vessel, killing 24 defends, after learning of the death of his younger brother during a sham surrender only hours prior.-Six Frigates by Toll.
25 July, 1804: USS Constitution and her flotilla of borrowed Italian gunboats and bomb ketches fell in with the blockading vessels Siren, Argus, Enterprise, and Scourge. Preble’s force now numbered 15 sail: the flagship, three brigs, three schooners, 2 bomb ketches, and 6 gunboats, manned by 1060 men.-Six Frigates by Toll.
16 Feb, 1804: Scuttling of the USS Philadelphia; 25y old LT Stephen Decatur, commander of the schooner Enterprise, volunteered to take a hand-picked crew and do it himself. The battle for possession of the Philadelphia was short and savage. The raiding party took only one prisoner, and he was so badly lacerated that he was not expected to live through the night. One American was slightly wounded, none killed. In 10 minutes, the fighting was over, and Decatur gave the order to destroy the Philadelphia.-Six Frigates by Toll.
31 Oct, 1803: The USS Philadelphia runs aground, forcing US CAPT Bainbridge to surrender the ship. His entire crew is taken prisoner by the Dei, who demands ~$3M in ransom.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Some frantics may say that blowing the ship up would have been the proper result. I thought such conduct would not stand acquitted before God or Man, and I never presumed to think I had the liberty of putting to death the lives of 306 souls because they were placed under my command.-Bainbridge on surrendering USS Philadelphia.
Aug, 1802: Morocco and the USA negotiate a peace settlement (U. Michigan).
17 Jun, 1802: Morocco declares war on the USA (U. Michigan).
6 Feb, 1802: The USG passes “An Act Further to Protect the Commerce and Seamen of the US against the Barbary Powers,” giving the President broad powers to conduct operations against Tripoli, including “equipping, officering, manning, and employing such of the armed vessels of the US, as may be deemed requisite…” To the vital question of costs, Congress’s answer was a new ad valorem tax of 2.5% on all imported goods. The med was their sine qua non; from that point forward, the Tripolitan war would be underwritten by the shipping and commercial interested it benefitted.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Feb, 1802: USC grants authority to privateers to “subdue, seize, and make prizes of all vessels, goods, and effects, belonging to the Bashaw of Tripoli, or his subjects.”-Six Frigates by Toll.
1 Aug, 1801: The USS Enterprise commanded by Sterret defeat and capture the ship Tripoli, commanded by Admiral Rous.-Six Frigates by Toll.
24 Jul- 3 Sep, 1801: A US Naval Squadron commanded by Dale conduct a blockade of the Port of Tripoli (U. Michigan).
1 June, 1801: A US Naval squadron commanded by Preble sails for the straits of Gibraltar.-Six Frigates by Toll.
13 May, 1801: The US War Cabinet decides unanimously to deploy frigates with orders “to superintend the safety of our commerce, and to exercise our seamen in nautical duties.” Although characterized as a “squadron of observation,” with peaceful intentions, if it was discovered that Tripoli was waging war against the US, the squadron was authorized to retaliate against Tripolitan ships and even attack Tripoli itself.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Mar, 1801: Tripoli declares war on the USA, seizing several merchant vessels (U. Michigan).
1799: The USG passes the Logan Act; criminalizing unauthorized diplomatic negotiations after a private American citizen negotiates directly with Talleyrand.-Six Frigates by Toll.
14 Jul, 1798: The USG under POTUS John Adams enacts the ‘Alien and Sedition Acts’, empowering federal magistrates to prosecute journalists and authors who published new editorial opinions that could be interpreted as “false, scandalous, and malicious” or that might tend to “excite against government officials the hatred of the good people of the US.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1798-1800: The Quasi War is fought as an undeclared war between the US and France.-Six Frigates by Toll.
3 Oct, 1800: The Convention of Mortefontaine is signed, ending the Quasi War between the USA and France and releasing the US from obligations to France under the 1778 treaty.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1-2 Feb, 1800: USS Constellation commanded by Captain Truxton French ship Vengeance; Vengeance is defeated but escapes.-Six Frigates by Toll.
9 Feb, 1799: USS Constellation commanded by Captain Truxton defeats French Ship L'insurgente in the W. Indies.-Six Frigates by Toll.
20 Mar, 1798: The XYZ affair; XYZ papers are turned over to the USC by POTUS John Adams.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Aug, 1797: American envoy’s obtain treaties with Tunis for $107K.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Nov, 1796: American envoys obtain a “firm and perpetual peace and friendship” treaty with Yusuf Karamanli, Bashaw of Tripoli, for $56,485, pledging not to allow his corsairs to attack American vessels.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1796: The French issue an order allowing for the seizure of American merchant ships. US President John Adams dispatches three envoys- Gerry, Marshall, and Pinckney- to France to restore harmony. The envoys were unable to meet with the French PM- Marquis de Talleyrand, and were approached by Jean Hottinger (X), Pierre Bellamy (Y), Lucien Hauteval (Z), and Nicholas Hubbard (later W). X, Y, Z, & W demanded several unacceptable conditions to which the American envoys did not agree, including threat of war. The correspondence was released to the American public by President Adams and the quasi war followed (DoS History).
Feb, 1796: The US and Algeria sign a treaty to return fellow citizens from grievous captivity, agreeing to pay millions of dollars in bribes, ransoms, and payments of tribute, including a stipulation that the US would build a 32-gun frigate for the Dey of Algeria as a gift. The cost of the treaty was equivalent to 13% of the total annual expenditures of the federal government in that year. The senate ratified it without debate.-Six Frigates by Toll.
5 Sep, 1795: The Algerine Treaty is signed between the USG and Hassan Bashaw, Dey of Algiers agreeing to pay a large sum of money to the Dey in return for not interfering with American merchant shipping.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1794: USC’ Ways and Means committee is established by US Senator Gallatin as a counterweight to the treasury. Gallatin regarded national debt as the root of all political evil.-Six Frigates by Toll.
19 Nov, 1794: The Jay Treaty is signed by the US and Britain in which the British agree to evacuate the NW Territory, compensate for its depredations against American shipping, end discrimination against American commerce, grant US trading privileges in England and the British East Indies , declared the Mississippi River open to both countries, prohibited the outfitting of privateers by the Britain’s enemies in US ports, and established joint commissions to determine the boundaries between the US and British N. America (Britannica).
27 Mar, 1794: The USG under George Washington authorize the US War Office to either buy or build six frigates; 4 with 44 guns and 2 with 36 guns.-Six Frigates by Toll.
2 Jan, 1794: The USC enacts a resolution proclaiming that “a naval force adequate to the protection of the commerce of the US, against the Algerian corsairs, ought to be provided.”-Six Frigates by Toll.
22 Apr, 1793: The US Neutrality Proclamation decrees that American citizens must observe “a conduct friendly and impartial towards the belligerent powers.” Any American found “committing, aiding, or abetting hostilities” against either side in the conflict would be prosecuted.-Six Frigates by Toll.
25 Sep, 1789: The Bill of Rights; of 12 USC amendments sent to Legislatures, 2 are rejected and the remaining 10 become the bill of rights.-Six Frigates by Toll.
4 Mar, 1789: The new US Government takes effect.-Six Frigates by Toll.
May, 1788: Publication of the Federalist papers; a collection of 51 essays by Hamilton, 29 by Madison and 5 by John Jay.-Six Frigates by Toll.
17 Sept, 1787: Constitution Day (USA); The constitutional convention meets in Philadelphia and revises the Articles of Confederation, approving a new constitution.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1786: Morocco signs a peace treaty with the US (U. Michigan).
July, 1785: US Merchant Vessels, the Maria and the Dauphin, are seized by Algerian corsairs.-Six Frigates by Toll.
Sept, 1781: A 28 Ship fleet under the command of French Rear Admiral Francois de Grasse cut off General Charles Cornwallis’s escape by sea from Yorktown forcing the surrender that effectively brought the American Revolution to an end.-Six Frigates by Toll.
23 Sept, 1779: The Naval Battle of Serapis v. Bonhomme Richard. The converted French Indiamen 40-gun Bonhomme Richard under the command of John Paul Jones engages and defeats the 50-gun Serapis off Farmborough Head on the English E. coast. Although the Bonhomme Richard sank before she could be brought into port; Jones transferred his crew into the Serapis and navigated her under American colors into the Texel.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1775: The American Continental Congress assembles in Philadelphia; they appoint a ‘Marine Committee’ charging its seven members with the task of organizing a navy.-Six Frigates by Toll.
1756: The ‘Rule of 1756’ is passed by the British, ruling that Britain would not trade with neutral nations who were also trading with the enemy (Wiki).
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