Soon afterwards the fleet was sold, our merchant ships started being harassed by the British and the North Africa Barbary Pirates. In 1794, George Washington signed the Naval Act, authorizing $600,000 for the construction of six-medium-sized frigates.
Naval Constructor Joshua Humphreys was commissioned to build the Constitution, Chesapeake, President, United States, Congress and Constellation. Knowing that our small Navy would be facing the huge British fleet, Humphreys designed his ships to be the fastest, strongest and most heavily armed frigates afloat. They were essentially Super-Frigates. No regular British frigate would have much of a chance against any of Humphreys ships.
Designed to either defeat or get away from any enemy ship. They could easily take a British fleet in one-on-one battle. If there were too many of them, the American ship could easily outdistance pursuit.
--Brock-Perry
2012 marks the 200th anniversary of America's "Forgotten War," the War of 1812 that took place over three years, 1812 to 1815.
Battle of New Orleans.
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