George Washington was built as a merchant vessel at Providence, R.I., in 1793; purchased by the Congress at Providence 12 October 1798 from John Brown and John Francis for $10,400 in cash and $30,000 in 6 percent navy stock, for use in the developing undeclared naval war (the so-called Quasi-War) with France, and converted to a warship under the supervision of Captain Silas Talbot with Captain Patrick Fletcher in command.

[4][5][6] George Washington proceeded in early December to Dominica, in the West Indies, to join Commodore John Barry's squadron for the protection of American commercial against the many French privateer's preying on US shipping and commerce.

Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert considered her a dull sailer[10] so she wasn't sent back to the Caribbean immediately, instead on this cruise, she searched the coast for French privateers as far south as Charleston, S.C., and then took station off Santo Domingo protecting American commerce.

[15] Lacking a strong navy, the United States accepted the questionable alternative of trying to protect its commerce from the Barbary pirates by paying an annual tribute (extortion).

[21] In a letter dated 20 February to Josiah Parker, chairman of the Committee on Naval Affairs, Navy Secretary Stoddert recommended selling her.

Manned with only a partial crew and reduced armament,[24] she sailed 20 July 1801, escorting the merchantman "Peace & Plenty", both loaded with goods from the U. S. government for the Bey of Tunis,[25] and arrived in Algiers via Málaga, Spain, on 5 October 1801.