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1796 Financial Report to Congress of the Construction First US Navy Frigates

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1796 Financial Report to Congress of the Construction First US Navy Frigates
Federal Period
1796 Financial Report to Congress of the Construction First United States Navy Frigate Warships Construction Costs
January 20, 1796-Dated Federal Period, Early American Navy Related Typeset Printed Document, No. V., Signed in Type, "TIMOTHY PICKERING" (1745-1829) regarding Congressional Funds for “One frigate of 44 guns...,” a War Office Report, Very Fine.
Typeset Printed “WAR OFFICE” Document Signed in printed type, "TIMOTHY PICKERING" (as Secretary of War), measuring 7.5” x 12.25”, 1 page, folio. Here, Pickering is reporting to the U.S. Congress on monies appropriated for naval equipment. This Report No. V reads, in part: "ONE frigate of 44 guns, being 1713 tons, and one of 36 guns, 1333 tons, making 3046 tons, at 120 dollars per ton, will cost, exclusive of provisions and men, as aforesaid, dols. 365,520.”

The No. V. Portion of the report issued by the War Office, on January 20th, 1796. American State Papers records this pronouncement under, "Progress Made in Building Frigates" as part of a report on "Frigates and Galleys" communicated to the 4th Congress, House of Representatives, January 20 1796. Signed in type by Timothy Pickering as Secretary of War (though his term officially expired 10 December 1795, his predecessor James McHenry did not take office until 27 January 1796). Boldly printed in black on clean laid period paper, report page disbound, with minor handling at the bottom right corner edge, nowhere near any text. American Naval history.


In 1794, the U.S. Congress passed an act authorizing the construction of six new frigates, three of which were to be of unprecedented size. This is considered by many naval historians to be the founding act of the U.S. Navy. The ships were authorized for the specific purpose of protecting U.S. commerce from the Barbary States of North Africa, which had taken the lack of an effective U.S. Navy as an open invitation to attack American merchant ships with impunity.

The size of the three “super-frigates” (the Constitution, United States, and President) was decided on to match the most powerful Algerian warships they were likely to encounter. As a result, by accident or design, the U.S. Navy had equipped itself with vessels that were superior to every frigate operated by the European navies.

This became apparent with the onset of the War of 1812. The Constitution was the first of the U.S. Navy’s new breed of frigates into action when she defeated the Royal Navy frigate Guerriere. Although the two ships were nominally the same type, it was an unequal fight. The American ship was one-third bigger, with proportionally thicker sides to protect her larger crew.

At 175 feet long and 44 feet broad, the Constitution’s gun deck was similar in size to that of a Royal Navy 74, which allowed her to carry a main battery of 24-pounders against her opponent’s 18-pounders. With more and bigger guns, “Old Ironsides” could deliver a broadside that was one-third heavier. The evolution of the 18th-century frigate was complete.