US Ships-of-the-Line-- Part 6: USS America, Pennsylvania and Delaware

USS AMERICA-- America;'s first ship-of-the-line, launched in 1782, 76-guns, given to France.

USS PENNSYLVANIA-- Mounted 140 guns. One of nine ships-of-the-line authorized by Congress 29 April 1816. Built in Philadelphi Navy Yard. Only sailed once and then placed in ordinary at Norfolk Navy Yard until 1842 when it became the port's receiving ship. Burned 20 April 1861 to prevent capture by Confederates.

USS DELAWARE-- Laid down August 1817 and commissioned 1828. In ordinary at Norfolk in 1844 and burned 20 April 1861 to prevent capture by Confederates.

--Brock-Perry

United States Ships-of-the-Line-- Part 4: The Ships and Classes

From Wikipedia "Lists of Ships of the Line in the United States Navy."

CONTINENTAL NAVY: USS America, given to France in 1782. There were three others. One was abandoned when the British captured Philadelphia in 1777 and the two others canceled and never named.

UNITED STATES NAVY:

COLUMBUS-CLASS. There were to be six in the class, but all were cancelled in 1800.

INDEPENDENCE-CLASS: Independence, Washington, Franklin and Columbus.

CHIPPEWA-CLASS: Chippewa, New Orleans and Pennsylvania (1837-1861). (The Pennsylvania was the first state-named ship-of-the-line, a tradition that continued with battleships and today, some of our submarines.)

DELAWARE-CLASS: Delaware (1820-1861), Vermont (1848-1901), New Hampshire (1864-1921), Virginia (laid-down, never launched), New York (laid-down 1820, burnt on ways 1861), Ohio (1820-1861), North Carolina (1820-1866)

Unnamed Class: 4 authorized in 1832 and never built.

The Ships-of-the-Line. --Brock-Perry

U.S. Naval Power Grew to Match Mercantile Ambition-- Part 2: U.S. Ships-of-the-Line

From 1813-1820, a major naval building program was underway, but it was dropped to save money. The ship-of-the-Line USS Ohio was launched in 1820 but sat decaying in 1826. British officer Frederich de Roos wrote of her in 1826, "A more splendid ship I never beheld. She is already falling rapidly into decay."

The USS Pennsylvania, SOL, was built in Philadelphia though its hull never touched water for many years. It had been designed originally to be the largest fighting ship possessed by any nation.

By 1830, the United States had the second-largest merchant fleet and these ships needed protection. The USS Pennsylvania was finally launched. By the 1840s, the U.S. Navy was the strongest it had ever been, but the navies of France and Britain were still a whole lot larger. In 1846, the tonnage of British ships under construction was triple that of the whole American fleet.

--Brock-Perry