"Essex" USS-American frigate (1799)

[Anatol]

America was young. While struggling to establish economic and political stability under the new constitution, the United States faced continued threats from French naval forces against a new and thriving maritime industry. To protect these interests, Congress passed several acts to establish a token naval force; and on June 30, 1798, the act which enabled ESSEX to be built came into being. This act allowed the President to accept vessels of war from private citizens on the credit of the United States. In response to this action, 23 citizens of Salem. Massachusetts opened a “Patriotic Subscription” on July 17, 1798, to build a vessel of war for the United States of America.
On October 25, 1798, a meeting of the sponsors of the first ESSEX was held to determine the type of vessel to be built. From the Salem Gazette of October 26th, 1798, came the following announcement which read in part: “At a meeting in this town on Tuesday last, of those gentlemen who have subscribed to build a ship for the service of the United States, it was voted unanimously to build a frigate of 32 guns. And to loan the same to the government…”
USS «Essex» of the United States Navy was a 36-gun frigate, built by Enos Briggs, Salem, Massachusetts, at a cost of $139,362. She was launched on 30 September 1799 before a crowd of 12,000 people. Essex is fitth-rate firgate with 850 tons displacement. She is more than 138 ft long, beam 37 ft and has speed of 11.4 knots (21.1km/h or 13.1 mph). She has participated in the Quasi-War with France, the First Barbary War, and in the War of 1812.
When war was declared on Great Britain on 18 June 1812, the Essex, under the command of Captain David Porter, made a successful cruise south. The Essex then sailed to the Pacific Ocean where it destroyed the British whaling fleet there.
In January 1814, Essex entered international waters at Valparaiso, but was pinned there for six weeks by the British frigate HMS Phoebe (36 guns), commanded by Captain James Hillyar, and the sloop-of-war HMS Cherub (18 guns), commanded by Thomas Tucker.
She was captured by the British at the Battle of Valparaiso in 1814, and she then served as HMS Essex until she was sold at public auction on June 6, 1837.
For more details about ship “Essex” see: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=13644.
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Source: https://savyboat.com/shop/uss-essex/.