Three Navy Legacy of the U.S.’s First Ship-of-the-Line
Prior to 1814, the U.S. built only one ship-of-the-line. Named America, the keel was laid down in John Langdon’s shipyard in Kittery, NH (which became part of Maine when it became a state in 1820) and was not launched until 1782. The delays were caused by a lack of almost everything, from money to pay the shipbuilder to enough skilled labor to build a large ship to materials.
Congress authorized the ship on November 20th, 1776, the keel was laid in May 1777. Its first captain was supposed to be John Barry and his appointment is dated November 6th, 1779.
However, during construction, members of the Continental Congress proposed to reduce America’s armament to 54-guns to save money. Barry successfully fought this proposal, and due to the delays in getting America built led to Barry being given command of Alliance, 36-guns.
The new CO was John Paul Jones who threw himself into getting America ready take on the Royal Navy with its 74 guns. Getting the ship fitted out with its planned armament of thirty long 18-pounders, 32 long 12-pounders, and fourteen long 12-pounders was a struggle due to a lack of money.
During the fitting out process, Congress decided to give America to the French Navy to replace the 74-gun Magnifique, which broke up after grounding in Boston Harbor. Despite the difficulties, Jones got America equipped and ready to sea. It left Kittery with a French crew on June 24th, 1783.
Though under-gunned compared to other French ships-of-the-line that were armed with 24- and 36-pounders, America served with the French Navy for a little over three years. There are few records about America’s service in the French Navy until 1785, when a French Marine surveyor found dry rot in her frame and bulwarks and could not be repaired. In their haste to complete America, Langdon’s shipyard, used “green” wood instead of properly dried wood.
The French scrapped the American-built America and a new 74-gun Temaire-class ship-of-the-line was built and named America. It had twenty-eight 36-pounders on the lower gundeck, twenty 18-pounders on the upper gun deck, and sixteen 8-pounders and four 36-pounder carronades on the forecastle and upper deck.
During the battle known as the Glorious First of June which took place on June 1st, 1794, the French America was captured by H.M.S. Leviathan, repaired and renamed Impétueaux because the Royal Navy already had another ship named America.
In early March 1799, the crew of Impétueaux’s crew mutinied. With the help of his Royal Marine detachment, Impétueaux’s captain, Sir Edward Pellew, put down the mutiny. The ship’s career ended in 1813 when Impétueaux was broken up.
Except for the original America, first the Continental Navy and then the U.S. Navy eschewed building more ships-of-the-line until 1814. Before it left office in 1800, the Adams administration proposed two 74-gun ships-of-the-line, Columbus and Franklin. Neither was built.
It would be another 14 years before the U.S. again began building ships-of-the-line. With the nation locked in a war with Britain, U.S. frigates of the Navy did more than hold their own against the Royal Navy frigates. However, the U.S. Navy had nothing that could go toe-to-toe with the British ships-of-the-line.
Model of Achille, sister ship to the French 74-gun ship-of-the-line America displayed at the Musée National de la Marine National de Paris
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