American Heavy Frigates 1794-1826 ( Series - New Vanguard, 79 )
By
1805 the 44-gun frigate was probably viewed as a failed experiment
whilst the 38-gun frigate was viewed as the vessel of the future. Ten
years later every navy was building 44-gun frigates and today it is
viewed as the symbol of the Napoleonic-era cruiser. This remarkable
transformation resulted from the performance of three ships - the
Constitution, United States, and President - 44-gun frigates built for
the United States Navy between 1794 and 1799. Their victories in the
naval War of 1812, as well as their performance against the Barbary
Pirates, caught the imagination of the world - and spurred all navies
into re-examining the class.
