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.

[15][16][17] Originally designated as "Frigate A" and subsequently named United States by President George Washington,[18] her keel was laid down in 1795 at Humphreys' shipyard in Philadelphia Pennsylvania.

Each commanding officer modified his vessel's armaments to his liking, taking into consideration factors such as the overall tonnage of cargo, complement of personnel aboard, and planned routes to be sailed.

Barry received orders in December which returned United States to the West Indies, taking command of the American squadron there.

[32] This squadron, in addition to United States, would by early 1799 include: Constitution, George Washington, Merrimack, Portsmouth, Herald and the revenue cutters Pickering, Eagle, Scammel, and Diligence.

[36] On 3 February 1799, United States sighted a French ship and began a five-hour pursuit of the schooner L'Amour de la Patrie.

[37] After coming in close to the vessel, United States opened fire; the third shot went completely through L'Amour de la Patrie, sinking her rapidly.

[42] On 26 March, United States took the French privateer La Tartueffe[37] and its prize, the American ship Vermont southeast of Antigua.

Encountering a storm on the 6th which sprung her bowsprit, she continued on to deliver an artillery company to Fort Moultrie and then put into the Gosport Navy Yard for repairs on the 22nd.

Returning to patrols on 13 August, United States experienced an uneventful period and at times sailed in company with George Washington and Insurgent.

Ichabod B. Crane, whose name was appropriated for the main character in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, served under Decatur as a lieutenant in the marine detachment aboard ship.

Captain Carden elected not to risk crossing the bows of United States to rake her, but chose instead to haul closer to the wind on a parallel course with the American vessel.

Decatur's next broadside destroyed Macedonian's mizzen top mast, letting her driver gaff fall and so giving the advantage in maneuver to the American frigate.

[65] On 1 June, the three vessels were driven into New London, Connecticut, by a powerful British squadron which included ships of the line, and United States and Macedonian were kept blocked there until the end of the war.

Both ships were disarmed and their crews and weapons despatched to the squadrons on the Great Lakes[66] Hornet managed to slip through the blockade on 14 November 1814 and escape to sea.

Nevertheless, United States, despite losing her position as flagship, continued to serve in the Mediterranean until she sailed for home in the spring of 1819 and reached Hampton Roads on 18 May.

[75] United States made a stop en route to the Pacific at Rio de Janeiro and reached Valparaiso, Chile by 7 March.

Commodore Hull found that Chile was now independent and had been acknowledged by Spain, though hostilities still continued with Peru; Callao was held by the Spaniards and blockaded by the Peruvian fleet.

The United States' position was one of strict neutrality in the war and Hull's orders contained the main objective of overseeing and protecting American commerce.

In the autumn of 1825, Hull placed Lieutenant John Percival in command of Dolphin and tasked him with searching for mutineers from the American whaling ship Globe.

[79] With Hull's tour of duty now expired, United States departed from Callao on 16 December 1826 and arrived at the New York Navy Yard on 24 April 1827.

On the night of 6 September 1842, while lying in Callao, the British frigate HMS Dublin, flagship of Rear Admiral Richard Darton Thomas, appeared off the port, and, seeing the American fleet, at once put to sea.

[81] Herman Melville, the future author of Moby-Dick, enlisted as an ordinary seaman on board United States at Honolulu, Hawaii, on 18 August 1843.

The next day 19 August 1843 the log states "Punished Geo Davis, Wm Stewart and Antonio Guavella "Bandsmen" with 12 lashes each for drunkenness."

[83] His novel White-Jacket, published in 1850, while fictionalized is based on his experiences on board with many actual members of the crew e.g. his hero Jack Chase Captain of the Maintop, Seaman John J.Chase (chapter 4. and thumbnail).

[82] From Hawaii, United States (which Melville refers to as USS Neversink) proceeded to the Marquesas Islands and lost a man overboard en route.

[84] United States remained at Callao for 10 weeks and the crew was denied shore leave while Commodore Jones was in port with his flagship Constellation.

The only break in the crew's boredom came when United States challenged Constellation and the British ship HMS Vindictive to a race out of the harbor.

She was recommissioned there on 18 May 1846 and detailed to the African Squadron to suppress the illicit slave trade under command of Captain J. Smoot as the flagship of Commodore George C. Read.

Despite good performance, she was ordered sunk in the Elizabeth River, Virginia, to form an obstruction to Union vessels when the Confederates abandoned the navy yard in May 1862.