USS John Adams (1799) facts for kids
Columbia and John Adams bombarding Muckie, Sumatra, 1 January 1839
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| History | |
|---|---|
 United States |
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| Cost | $113,505 |
| Launched | 5 June 1799 at Charleston, South Carolina |
| Commissioned | circa 1 October 1799 |
| Decommissioned | September 1865 |
| Stricken | 1865 (est.) |
| Fate | Sold, 5 October 1867 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen | 544 (bm) |
| Length | 139 ft (42.4 m) (between perpendiculars) |
| Beam | 32 ft (9.8 m) |
| Depth of hold | 16 ft 4 in (5.0 m) |
| Propulsion | sail |
| Complement | 220 officers and enlisted |
| Armament |
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The first John Adams was a famous ship in the United States Navy. It was built in 1799 as a frigate (a type of warship). Later, it was changed into a corvette (a smaller warship) and then back to a frigate. The ship was named after President John Adams.
John Adams fought in many important wars. These included the Quasi-War with France, the First and Second Barbary Wars, and the War of 1812. It also served in the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.
During the Civil War, John Adams helped block Southern ports. It also took part in a special raid with Harriet Tubman. She was a former slave and a Union helper. Tubman and Colonel Montgomery planned to free slaves. John Adams led three gunboats up the Harbor River. Local Black sailors helped guide the ships safely. This mission freed over 750 enslaved people. Harriet Tubman was the first woman in U.S. history to plan and lead an armed mission.
This ship, John Adams, is not the same as the frigate USS Adams.
Contents
Building the John Adams
The ship John Adams was built for the United States Navy. The people of Charleston, South Carolina, paid for its construction. It was built by Paul Pritchard and launched on June 5, 1799. The shipyard was about 3 miles (4.8 km) from Charleston.
Fighting in the Quasi-War
Captain George Cross took command of John Adams around October 1, 1799. The ship sailed to Cayenne, French Guiana, to fight French privateers. Privateers were private ships allowed to attack enemy ships. When John Adams arrived, the French privateer base was no longer safe. So, Captain Cross sailed to Guadeloupe to join his squadron.
In January 1800, John Adams began fighting the French. It captured a French ship and took back the American brig Dolphin. It also recaptured two more brigs, Hannibal and Atlantic. These had been taken by the French privateer President Tout. On April 3, the French privateer schooner Jason surrendered. In May, John Adams recaptured two more schooners, Dispatch and William. It also took back the American brig Olive and the French schooner Decade.
John Adams continued to protect American ships in the Caribbean. On December 5, it escorted a group of ships back to the United States. In January 1801, the ship was placed "in ordinary" (meaning it was stored) in Charleston. Later, it sailed to Washington, D.C., and was put away.
As the Quasi-War ended, President Adams praised the Navy. He said it had helped American trade and made the country proud.
First Barbary War Missions
After peace with France, the Navy could focus on the Barbary pirates. These pirates were attacking American ships in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1801, a small group of ships went to fight Tripoli. In 1802, a stronger force followed.
On October 22, John Adams, led by Captain John Rodgers, sailed to join this force. After escorting ships, it met Commodore Morris in Malta on January 5, 1803. John Adams then sailed alone to Tripoli. It bravely attacked the forts and gunboats there. A few days later, it captured a 28-gun Tripolitan ship called Meshuda.
On May 22, with USS New York and USS Enterprise helping, John Adams fought enemy gunboats. It forced them to retreat into the harbor. Five days later, with USS Adams joining, the squadron again defeated pirate gunboats.
A big victory happened on June 21. John Adams and Enterprise captured a 22-gun ship from Tripoli. This weakened Tripoli, allowing the squadron to focus on Tunis, Algiers, and Morocco. These countries were also threatening U.S. trade. John Adams worked in this area all summer and fall. Then, it returned home with New York.
Later, Commodore Edward Preble led a strong fleet to the Mediterranean. In August and September 1804, he launched major attacks on Tripoli. On August 7, John Adams, now led by Captain Isaac Chauncey, arrived with supplies. Its smaller boats helped explore the area on August 18. Six days later, it moved close to the city for a 4-hour bombardment. During another attack, one of John Adams's boats sank, and three men died. The American squadron hit Tripoli hard. After a fifth attack on September 3, bad weather stopped operations. John Adams sailed to Syracuse.
Three months later, it sailed to New York with Commodore Preble. It arrived on February 26, 1805. After another trip to the Mediterranean, the ship was stored. It was not a very fast ship. Between 1807 and 1809, parts of the ship were removed. It was then called a corvette or a sloop-of-war.
Serving in the War of 1812
When the War of 1812 began, John Adams was being repaired in Boston. It was then sent to New York to finish the work. However, the British blocked the port, and there weren't enough sailors. So, the ship stayed stored until early 1814.
Finally, it sailed under a flag of truce. It carried peace commissioners Henry Clay and Jonathan Russell to Europe. They arrived in Wargo Island, Norway, on April 14. John Adams returned to the United States on September 5. It brought news from the American commissioners about the Treaty of Ghent, which would end the war.
Second Barbary War and West Indies Patrols
During the War of 1812, the Barbary pirates started attacking American ships again. But after the peace treaty in December 1814, U.S. Navy ships could return to the Mediterranean. In the fall of 1815, John Adams arrived to help keep peace. It worked with other frigates like USS United States and USS Constellation. In early 1816, it returned home. It carried important messages and marble from Naples to help rebuild the Capitol building in Washington.
Pirates were also active in the Caribbean at this time. Many lawless ships attacked trade vessels. For several years, John Adams was busy fighting these buccaneers. On December 22, 1817, it demanded the surrender of Amelia Island off Florida. This island was a base for corsairs (pirates) led by Commodore Louis-Michel Aury.
Diplomacy in Venezuela
In the spring of 1819, the Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson chose Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry for a special mission. Perry was to make friends with the new government of Republic of Venezuela. He also needed to talk with President Simón Bolívar about American ships that Venezuelans had taken.
Perry sailed on his flagship John Adams from Annapolis on June 7. The schooner USS Nonsuch went with him. A month later, they reached the Orinoco river. Perry went up the river in Nonsuch, while John Adams waited in Trinidad. After long talks, Venezuela agreed to all U.S. demands on August 11. However, on the way back down the river, Perry got yellow fever and sadly died on board John Adams.
Commodore Charles Morris took over the squadron. John Adams went with his flagship Constellation to the Plata River. They continued Perry's work to build good relations with new Latin American countries. They also protected American trade from South American privateers. After visiting Montevideo and Buenos Aires, both ships returned to the United States on April 24, 1820.
Later Years (1821–1865)
Piracy continued to be a problem in the West Indies. In 1821, a strong West Indies Squadron was created to deal with it. John Adams was part of this squadron. The ships worked hard, but finding pirates in many small bays and inlets was tough. Many sailors got yellow fever.
In 1823, Commodore David Porter took command of the squadron. He chose John Adams as his main ship. Later, Commodore Lewis Warrington also used John Adams as his flagship until 1826. The frigate returned to the West Indies several times to fight pirates. In 1829, it was stored and almost completely rebuilt.
In 1831, John Adams joined the Mediterranean Squadron. One of its first jobs was to take its former commander, Commodore Porter, to Constantinople. He became the first U.S. representative there. The ship was allowed to pass through the Dardanelles with its guns ready, which was a rare honor. It then escorted ships in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1833, it visited Liberia.
After more repairs, John Adams sailed from Hampton Roads on May 5, 1838. It was with USS Columbia on a trip around the world. They wanted to show the American flag in the East Indies, where the U.S. had a growing trade. The ships arrived in Rio de Janeiro on July 10. John Adams then sailed to Zanzibar and Bombay. There, it met Columbia again. They then went to Goa and Colombo, Ceylon.
In Colombo, the ships learned that people in Susoh, Aceh, had attacked the American ship Eclipse. The squadron immediately sailed there. They fired on the forts at Kuala Batee to make the local leaders agree to protect American ships. They also landed over 300 marines and sailors to attack the village of Muckie, which they destroyed. This was called the Second Sumatran Expedition. Before returning to Rio de Janeiro on April 23, 1840, the squadron visited Singapore, Macau, Honolulu, Valparaíso, and Cape Horn.
Mexican-American and Civil Wars
John Adams arrived in Boston in June 1840 and was stored until 1842. After serving in Brazil, it was stored again. It was brought back into service at the start of the Mexican-American War.
On May 8, 1846, during the Battle of Palo Alto, John Adams was anchored off Santiago. It then helped blockade the east coast of Mexico for the rest of the war.
John Adams returned to Boston in September 1848. It had many repairs before joining the Royal Navy to fight the slave trade around Africa. It returned from this difficult duty in July 1853. After that, except for repairs, John Adams served in the Pacific and the Far East. It was there when the Civil War began. It sailed home from Siam on July 6, 1861. It reached New York on January 11, 1862. It brought letters from the King of Siam to President Lincoln, along with a sword and ivory tusks.
John Adams was sent to Newport, Rhode Island. This was where the Naval Academy was located during the war. It became a training ship for midshipmen. In the summer of 1863, it joined the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. It took its place off Morris Island near Charleston Bar. It served as the main ship for the inner blockade. It finally sailed into Charleston harbor after the city was evacuated in February 1865.
One of its crew members, Coxswain Oliver O'Brien, received the Medal of Honor. This was for his brave actions during the capture of a blockade runner in 1864. Another crew member, Acting Ensign Pierre d'Orléans, was a member of the French royal family.
The End of John Adams
In late summer 1865, John Adams sailed to Boston. It was taken out of service in September. It was one of the oldest ships in the U.S. Navy at that time.
John Adams was sold on October 5, 1867, for $1500. It was bought by the British government to be used as housing for the Hong Kong police. It was taken to Hong Kong. In 1868, its hull (the main body of the ship) was used as the Water Police Headquarters. In February 1884, the hull of John Adams caught fire and was destroyed. Later, HMS Merlin torpedoed and sank the burnt-out hull.
