USS UNITED STATES WAS A WOODEN-HULLED, THREE-MASTED HEAVY FRIGATE OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY AND THE FIRST OF THE SIX ORIGINAL FRIGATES AUTHORIZED FOR CONSTRUCTION BY THE NAVAL ACT OF 1794. THE NAME "UNITED STATES" WAS AMONG TEN NAMES SUBMITTED TO PRESIDENT GEORGE WASHINGTON BY SECRETARY OF WAR TIMOTHY PICKERING IN MARCH 1795 FOR THE FRIGATES THAT WERE TO BE CONSTRUCTED.[8][9] JOSHUA HUMPHREYS DESIGNED THE FRIGATES TO BE THE YOUNG NAVY'S CAPITAL SHIPS, AND SO UNITED STATES AND HER SISTERS WERE LARGER AND MORE HEAVILY ARMED AND BUILT THAN TYPICAL FRIGATES OF THE PERIOD. SHE WAS BUILT AT HUMPHREY'S SHIPYARD IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA AND LAUNCHED ON 10 MAY 1797[10] AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN DUTIES WITH THE NEWLY FORMED UNITED STATES NAVY PROTECTING AMERICAN MERCHANT SHIPPING DURING THE QUASI-WAR WITH FRANCE.

IN 1861, UNITED STATES WAS IN PORT AT NORFOLK WHEN SHE WAS SEIZED BY THE VIRGINIA NAVY. SHE WAS COMMISSIONED INTO THE CONFEDERATE NAVY AS CSS UNITED STATES, BUT WAS LATER SCUTTLED BY CONFEDERATE FORCES. THE U.S. NAVY RAISED UNITED STATES AFTER RETAKING NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, BUT THE AGED AND DAMAGED SHIP WAS NOT RETURNED TO SERVICE; INSTEAD, UNITED STATES WAS HELD AT THE NORFOLK NAVY YARD UNTIL SHE WAS BROKEN UP IN DECEMBER 1865. ------------------------------

THE AFRICA SQUADRON WAS A UNIT OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY THAT OPERATED FROM 1843 TO 1861 IN THE BLOCKADE OF AFRICA TO SUPPRESS THE SLAVE TRADE ALONG THE COAST OF WEST AFRICA. HOWEVER, THE TERM WAS OFTEN ASCRIBED GENERALLY TO ANTI-SLAVERY OPERATIONS DURING THE PERIOD LEADING UP TO THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR.

THE SQUADRON WAS AN OUTGROWTH OF THE 1819 TREATY BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED KINGDOM THAT WAS AN EARLY STEP IN STOPPING THE TRADE, AND FURTHER DEFINED BY THE WEBSTER–ASHBURTON TREATY OF 1842. ALTHOUGH TECHNICALLY COORDINATED WITH A BRITISH WEST AFRICA SQUADRON BASED IN SIERRA LEONE, IN PRACTICE THE AMERICAN CONTINGENT WORKED ON ITS OWN.

MATTHEW PERRY WAS THE FIRST COMMANDER OF THE SQUADRON, AND BASED HIMSELF IN PORTUGUESE CAPE VERDE.

THE SQUADRON WAS GENERALLY INEFFECTIVE, SINCE THE SHIPS WERE TOO FEW, AND SINCE MUCH OF THE TRADING ACTIVITY HAD SHIFTED TO THE NIGER RIVER DELTA AREA (PRESENT-DAY NIGERIA), WHICH WAS NOT BEING COVERED. IN THE TWO YEARS OF PERRY'S LEADERSHIP, ONLY ONE SLAVER WAS REPORTED TO HAVE BEEN CAPTURED, AND THAT SHIP WAS LATER ACQUITTED BY A NEW ORLEANS COURT. IN THE 16 YEARS OF SQUADRON OPERATION, ONLY THE CREWS OF 19 SLAVE SHIPS WENT TO TRIAL. THESE SLAVERS WERE ACQUITTED OR ONLY LIGHTLY FINED. OTHER COMMANDERS, HOWEVER, WERE MORE SUCCESSFUL. ----

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