After the War of 1812, America enjoyed relative peace on the high seas, and the U.S. Navy's focused their efforts on protecting American commerce. During the 1820's a number of U.S. squadrons were deployed to the most dangerous areas, such as the Mediterranean and the West Indies. A typical squadron consisted of a ship-of-the-line or frigate with many guns along with sloops of war, brigs and schooners, and would sail from port to port helping Americans who had problems with local authorities.
In response to hostilities between the Algerian pirates and the powers of Europe, the United States Navy sent the U.S. Ship of the Line North Carolina, a 74-gun ship of the line to assist our squadron in the Mediterranean. The USS North Carolina was captained by John Rodgers, a man hailed by the common people as a hero of the War of 1812 when he shattered a vessel by the name of Little Belt, in what was believed to be the first shot of the war. Rodgers also played a major role in the recapture of Washington after it had been burned by the British, when his flotilla of ships on the Potomac forced the British to retreat. On April 29, 1825, Captain Rodgers and the USS North Carolina set out to augment the Mediterranean squadron, giving the United States a level of prestige and protection off the coast of Algiers. The USS North Carolina was first launched in Philadelphia in September of 1820 and fitted out in Norfolk Virginia. The vessel had three masts with an overall length of 196 feet 3 inches displacing 2,6334 tons. It was rated as a 74-gun ship, but actually contained 102 gun ports. From 1825, until May of 182 he USS North Carolina and Captain Rodger remained in the Mediterranean and laid the ground work for a commercial treaty with Turkey in 1830.
In President James Monroe's final State of the Union Address, he announced that the USS North Carolina had been prepped and would sail in just a few days.
"The squadron in the Mediterranean has been maintained in the extent which was proposed in the report of the Secretary of the Navy of the last year, and has afforded to our commerce the necessary protection in that sea. Apprehending, however, that the unfriendly relations which have existed between Algiers and some of the powers of Europe might be extended to us, it has been thought expedient to augment the force there, and in consequence the North Carolina, a ship of the line, has been prepared, and will sail in a few days to join it".
In 1827, Rodgers returned to New York where he became the Navy agent at the port. The USS North Carolina would be the last ship he captained. Captain John Rodgers died on August 1, 1838 at the age of 66. The USS North Carolina fought on. In 1836, the North Carolina was refitted and sent out on the waters of the Pacific to protect American commerce during the war between Chile and Peru. In 1839, she became a receiving ship in the New York Navy until being sold for scrap metal in 1867.
Augmenting the Pacific Squadron
Later in this same State of the Union Address, President Monroe also made brief mention of augmenting the force of our Squadron on the Pacific due to our increased commercial interests in that area."On the Pacific, our commerce has much increased, and on that coast, as well as on that sea, the United States have many important interests which require attention and protection. It is thought that all the considerations which suggested the expediency of placing a squadron on that sea operate with augmented force for maintaining it there, at least in equal extent."
References
Presidency.ucsb.edu. (2017). James Monroe: Eighth Annual Message. [online] Available at: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=29466 [Accessed 9 Dec. 2017].Battleship NC. (2017). All Ships ⋆ Battleship NC. [online] Available at: http://www.battleshipnc.com/about-the-ship/history/all-ships/ [Accessed 11 Dec. 2017].
En.wikipedia.org. (2017). John Rodgers (1772–1838). [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Rodgers_(1772%E2%80%931838) [Accessed 11 Dec. 2017].
Stateoftheunionhistory.com. (2017). 1811 James Madison - The first shot fired by an American vessel in the War of 1812. [online] Available at: http://www.stateoftheunionhistory.com/2016/08/1811-james-madison-first-shot-fired-by.html [Accessed 11 Dec. 2017].
Stateoftheunionhistory.com. (2017). 1821 James Monroe - Peacetime Naval Squadrons. [online] Available at: http://www.stateoftheunionhistory.com/2017/07/1821-james-monroe-peacetime-naval.html [Accessed 11 Dec. 2017].
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1820USS_NorthCarolina.jpg
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