REVIEW 1 QUESTIONS
Q1. What was the reason for the formation of the
United States Navy?
Q2. During the late 18th century, battleships were
classified as—
Q3. During 1775, a craft was completed to fight the
British Navy. What type of craft was this, what
was it named, and who was its inventor?
Q4. What is the significance of the 1776 raid on the
island of New Providence in the Bahamas?
Q5. The first official recognition of the American
Stars and Stripes flag by a foreign nation was
given by (a) what nation in (b) what location?
THE U.S. NAVY FROM 1783 TO THE
CIVIL WAR
Learning Objectives: When you finish this chapter,
you will be able to—
Recognize the roles and responsibilities of the
Navy from 1783 to the Civil War to include the
War of 1812.
At the end of the Revolutionary War, a new federal
government was established. In 1783, the Navy was
down to five ships. The Navy was disbanded, and the
last frigate, the USS Alliance, was sold in 1785.
Soon, Congress saw the need for a Navy. America’s
small merchant fleet was being molested on the high
seas. In 1794, a Navy-conscious Congress authorized
the construction of six frigates. They were to be of a new
d e s i g n — l o n g a n d s t r o n g . T h e s e s h i p s h a d a
combination of firepower and class. One of these was
the USS Constitution (fig. 5-2), which was completed in
1798. This ship was equipped with 44 guns, could sail at
13 1/2 knots, was 175 feet long (at its gundeck), and had
a tonnage rating of 1,576 tons. Its mainmast towered
105 1/2 feet above its decks.
NOTE
The USS Constitution is still in commission
and can be seen at the Boston Navy Yard.
The USS Constitution fulfilled the thoughts and
dreams of President John Adams, who did so much to
form the U.S. Navy. John Adams established the Navy
Department in 1798.
THE EARLY YEARS
Between America’s first two wars with Great
Britain (the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812),
5-6
Student Notes:
Figure 5-2.—The new and radical USS Constitution, built for
speed and firepower, helped to rid the Mediterranean of the
Barbary pirates.
