The Barbary States War and the War of 1812 saw
bigger ships coming into the Navy. Typical was our first
ship-of-the-line, the USS Independence, followed by
the 74-gun USS North Carolina.
THE YEARS FROM 1813 TO 1815
Following the War of 1812, our Navy underwent
technological changes. Before the Civil War, new
scientific advances foreshadowed the incredible
technological revolution that continues into today’s
world.
One change was the use of steam. The Navy entered
a new era, an era of the “steam-driven warship.”
Harnessing the power of steam was the most important
development in the surface Navy during the first half of
the 19th century. Steam began to replace wind as a
means of propulsion. It promised to eliminate some of
the hazards and delays caused by ships being blown off
course or left dead in the water.
The principles of steam power were known for
centuries. But, it was Robert Fulton who successfully
used steam to power a commercial steamboat. After
making a number of important modifications to James
Watt’s basic steam engine, Fulton sailed his riverboat
Clermont up the Hudson River in 1807. Fulton helped
build USS Demologos, the Navy’s first warship to use
steam. It was originally intended to defend the port of
New York during the War of 1812. The USS Demologos
was rechristened the USS Fulton in Robert Fulton’s
honor.
1815 TO THE CIVIL WAR
From 1815 to 1840, the Navy continued to expand
its sailing fleet. In fact, more than 74 ships-of-the-line
were built. In 1837 the Navy launched the 3,104-ton
U S S
Pe n n s y l v a n i a , t h e l a rg e s t o f A m e r i c a ’s
ships-of-the-line.
In 1841, the Navy launched the USS Missouri and
the USS Mississippi. These were our first ocean-going,
steam-driven capital ships. At the same time the US
Navy was building bigger ships, it was developing
steam powered ships and iron clad ships.
At the same time it was harnessing steam power for
ship propulsion, the Navy was making advances in ship
construction. The Navy began making its ships with
iron instead of wooden hulls. In 1843, the Navy
launched its first iron-hulled warship—the paddle sloop
USS Michigan. This side-wheeler was 163 feet long and
5-8
Student Notes:
Figure 5-4.—During the War of 1812, Captain Isaac Hull, aboard the USS Constitution,
defeated the British frigate Guerriere.
