Navies are an expensive endeavor, that much has been true throughout history. Ships cost a fair amount, and you’re using plenty of manpower to staff them. When the United States broke off from England, it needed a navy to contend with the most powerful maritime force in the land. Today, we’re looking at America’s oldest naval vessels.
Why Did America Need a Navy?
The United States relied on the waterways for international commerce and shipping. That has changed in centuries. However, a naval blockade is a potent way to curtail incoming goods. America needed a navy to safeguard its commercial interests and keep its people fed.
Who Supplied the First American Ship?
The first naval ship in American service was commissioned by the Second Continental Congress in 1775, as we’ll cover later on. The ship itself was originally a fishing schooner that was converted into a four-gun frigate that was previously owned by John Glover.
When Did America Start Exercising Naval Dominance?
You could look at America’s naval strength substantially increasing right after the end of the Second World War. America’s massive industrial base and manufacturing capacity led to a massive navy that world had never seen.
1. USS Hannah
- Year entered service: 1775
- Type: 4-Gun sailing warship
- Crew size: N/A
2. USS Alfred (1774)
- Year entered service: 1775
- Type: Man-of-war sailing warship
- Crew size: 220
3. USS Wasp (1775)
- Year entered service: 1775
- Type: 8-Gun schooner warship
- Crew size: 50
4. USS Raleigh
- Year entered service: 1776
- Type: 32-Gun sailing frigate warship
- Crew size: 180
5. USS Philadelphia
- Year entered service: 1776
- Type: Gundalow gunboat
- Crew size: 45
6. USS Bonhomm Richard
- Year entered service: 1779
- Type: 42-gun sailing warship
- Crew size: 375
7. USS America (1782)
- Year entered service: 1782
- Type: 74-Gun ship-of-the-line
- Crew size: 626
8. USS United States (1797)
- Year entered service: 1797
- Type: First-class heavy frigate sailing warship
- Crew size: 414
9. USS Constitution
- Year entered service: 1797
- Type: Heavy frigate sailing warship
- Crew size: 450
10. USS Constellation (1797)
- Year entered service: 1797
- Type: 38-Gun frigate sailing warship
- Crew size: 340
11. USS Pennsylvania
- Year entered service: 1837
- Type: Ship-of-the-line
- Crew size: 1100
12. USS Yorktown (1840)
- Year entered service: 1840
- Type: Sloop-of-war sailing warship
- Crew size: 150
13. USS Congress
- Year entered service: 1842
- Type: Sailing frigate warship
- Crew size: 480
14. USS Powhatan (1852)
- Year entered service: 1852
- Type: Sidewheel steam frigate warship
- Crew size: 290
15. USS Constellation (1855)
- Year entered service: 1855
- Type: Sloop-of-war sailing warship
- Crew size: 285
16. USS Wabash
- Year entered service: 1856
- Type: Steam screw frigate warship
- Crew size: 642
17. USS Roanoke (1857)
- Year entered service: 1857
- Type: Steam-powered sailing frigate
- Crew size: 347
18. USS Hartford
- Year entered service: 1859
- Type: Sloop-of-war steam-and-sail warship
- Crew size: 310
19. USS Brooklyn
- Year entered service: 1859
- Type: Sloop-of-war sailing warship
- Crew size: 335
20. USS Miami (1861)
- Year entered service: 1861
- Type: Sidewheel gunboat
- Crew size: 134
21. USS Albatross
- Year entered service: 1861
- Type: Three-masted schooner gunboat
- Crew size: 150
22. USS Vermont (1848)
- Year entered service: 1862
- Type: 74-Gun ship-of-the-line
- Crew size: 820
23. USS Planter
- Year entered service: 1862
- Type: Sidewheel steamer
- Crew size: 75
24. USS Mound City (1862)
- Year entered service: 1862
- Type: Riverine ironclad gunboat
- Crew size: 250
25. USS Monitor (1862)
- Year entered service: 1862
- Type: Ironclad gunboat
- Crew size: 59
26. USS Kearsarge (1862)
- Year entered service: 1862
- Type: Sloop-of-war sailing warship
- Crew size: 335
27. USS Fort Jackson
- Year entered service: 1862
- Type: Sidewheel steamer warship
- Crew size: 55
28. USS Cairo (1861)
- Year entered service: 1862
- Type: Ironclad gunboat
- Crew size: 250
29. USS Benton (1862)
- Year entered service: 1862
- Type: Ironclad river gunboat
- Crew size: 176
30. USS Oasge (1863)
- Year entered service: 1863
- Type: River monitor
- Crew size: 100
31. USS Keokuk
- Year entered service: 1863
- Type: Casemate ironclad warship
- Crew size: 92
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Benyapha soomhirun/iStock via Getty Images.
