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Continuing on with your Naval education we bring you another installment of MSW’s Navy Word of the Day.

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So, what were the other 3 Salem Frigates? Constitution, Constellation and ???

I haven't heard the term "Salem Frigate" before but the first frigates I'm aware of built for the U.S. Navy were the six frigates, three large, three smaller, designed by Joshua Humphreys. The three largest ones were the 44 gun frigates Constitution, President, United States, the three smaller ones were the 38 gun Congress, Constellation, Chesapeake. These ships were designed from the keel up as frigates for the navy.

Based on the way it's phrased, "sold to the U.S. navy" I wonder if the "Salem Frigates" were not based on US Navy designs and were built then sold to the USN.

None of the Salem Frigates were designed by the Navy. The US Navy had been disbanded in 1784 after the Revolutionary war. Of the first six Salem Frigates ordered in 1794, only three were completed because of the treaty with the Barbary States. They were "Constitution, United States and Constellation." These were only completed because they were nearly done anyway.

After having over 200 American ships plundered in the intervening years, in April 1798 the US Navy was re-established. The fledgling nation was short on cash so several cities raised money by private subscription. New York, Philadelphia, and Boston built frigates. Salem, with a population of less than 10,000 but possessing a seafaring reputation second to none, responded with ESSEX, a 32 gun warship. July of 1798 the subscription began, The model was prepared by Captain William Hackett. The keel was layed April 1799, launched 30 Sept 1799, fitted out and supplied, with Captain Preble taking command 21 October 1799.

Thus began the proud history of the ESSEX name in the US Navy.

This September, The USS ESSEX Association will hold it's 41st annual reunion where the name began - in Peabody MA.

I served aboard ESSEX CVS-9 in the 60's, "The Oldest and the Boldest". We still have as members of our association, several plank owners of ESSEX CV-9 and a number of WWII veterans that served on her - the first of a new class of carrier that went to the Pacific after Pearl Harbor.

EJ -

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