As a historical interpreter for Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, I have been diving into the naval history of the American Revolution, and I work hard to bring the history of the earliest days of the U.S. Navy to life. In October 2020, I wrote to Secretary of the Navy Kenneth Braithwaite suggesting that a future ship of the Navy be named Alliance. Two previous American ships have carried the name, but her time has come again.
The first Alliance was a 36-gun sailing frigate launched in April 1778 at Salisbury, Massachusetts. She was arguably the finest ship constructed by the fledgling United States. Indeed, the intendent of the French port of l’Orient declared, “There is not in Europe a more perfect piece of naval architecture than your Alliance.”
During her time in service, the Alliance was commanded by two of the Continental Navy’s most famous captains: John Paul Jones and John Barry, both of whom have been referred to as fathers of the U.S. Navy. She made several transatlantic crossings, the first of which was to carry the Marquis de Lafayette back to France in early 1779 to garner more support for America’s struggle for independence.
The Alliance had a distinguished record in combat as well. Following his iconic victory over HMS Serapis in 1779, Captain John Paul Jones commanded the Alliance for several months, at one point racing her down the English Channel in full view of a prominent British anchorage and daring the Royal Navy to give chase.
In late May 1781, Captain John Barry led her to victory against two British sloops-of-war, despite being undermanned and under jury-rig from recent storm damage. The Alliance remained under Barry’s command through the end of the Revolution and fought the final naval engagement of the war, successfully defending an American convoy from HMS Sybil in March 1783.
A second USS Alliance, a screw gunboat, served from 1877 to 1911. While she never had the opportunity to distinguish herself in combat, this Alliance steamed all over the world. At different points in her career, she served as flagship to the U.S. Navy’s European and Asiatic squadrons. During a visit to New Orleans, a young John A. Lejeune was so impressed by the sight of the Alliance’s Marine officer in dress uniform that he was inspired to become a U.S. Marine (and future commandant) himself. In 1881, the Alliance participated in the search for the missing Arctic exploration vessel Jeannette. She finished her service as a station ship and storeship in Puerto Rico in 1911.
The Navy currently has destroyers in service named after Captains Barry and Jones and, until last year’s catastrophic fire, the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard honoring Jones’s most celebrated Revolutionary War command. With more than a century having passed since a U.S. warship has borne the name, it seems fitting that Captain Barry’s Alliance be honored as well. This not only would pay tribute to one of the first American warships to earn international praise, but also would serve as a reminder of the early traditions of perseverance and victory that the Navy of today has been built on.
As the Navy builds toward a 355-ship fleet, surely there is a billet for a new Alliance. Whatever the prospective hull might be (one of the new Constellation-class frigates would be perfect), anyone with a passion for Revolutionary War naval history should join in advocating for the next USS Alliance.
Sources:
Roger Knight, The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievement of Horatio Nelson (New York: Basic Books, 2005).
Naval History and Heritage Command, “Alliance II (Screw Gunboat),” Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
Michael Romero, “Alliance: Becalmed and Embattled,” Naval History 33, no. 2 (April 2019): 34–35.
