USS ''Plymouth'' was a sloop-of-war constructed and commissioned just prior to the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

. She was heavily gunned, and traveled to Japan as part of Commodore

Matthew C. Perry Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was a commodore of the United States Navy who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). He played a leading role in the o ...

's effort to force Japan to open her ports to international trade. She also served in European and Caribbean waters and, later in her career, she was used to train midshipmen. ''Plymouth'' was the first ship of the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

to be named for Plymouth, Massachusetts, a town on

Plymouth Bay Plymouth Bay is a small, well-protected bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the western shore of larger Cape Cod Bay along the coastline of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Plymouth Bay retains historical significance for the landing at Plymouth Rock in ...

, about southeast of Boston, Massachusetts. Plymouth was founded by the Pilgrims in 1620.

Built in Boston

Built by the

Boston Navy Yard The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of t ...

, she departed Boston, Massachusetts, on 3 April 1844 for the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

, Commander Henry Henry in command. After over a year in European waters, she sailed westward and arrived at

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

on 4 October 1846.

Far East

Following service on the U.S. East Coast, ''Plymouth'' departed New York City, 13 February 1848, for the Far East, returning to Norfolk, Virginia, from the East Indies on 29 January 1851. On 23 August 1851 she stood out from

Hampton Roads, Virginia Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James, Nansemond and Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point where the Chesapeake Bay flows into the Atlantic O ...

, bound once again for the Orient. After duty on the

East India Squadron The East India Squadron, or East Indies Squadron, was a squadron of American ships which existed in the nineteenth century, it focused on protecting American interests in the Far East while the Pacific Squadron concentrated on the western coast ...

, she joined Commodore

's expedition to Japan, entering Edo Bay on 8 July 1853 and departing on 17 July. She returned in February of the following year and before heading home put into

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flowin ...

where she sent a party ashore to support a coordinated British-American expedition against hostile forts in the area.

Training Navy midshipmen

Returning to Norfolk, Virginia, 11 January 1855, ''Plymouth'' began an extended tour in the Atlantic Ocean. Assigned as a midshipmen training ship during the summers of 1855 and 1856, she tested new ordnance under the command of Commander John A. Dahlgren in 1858 and resumed duties as a

training ship A training ship is a ship used to train students as sailors. The term is mostly used to describe ships employed by navies to train future officers. Essentially there are two types: those used for training at sea and old hulks used to house class ...

for midshipmen during the summers of 1859 and 1860.

American Civil War

''Plymouth'' was at Norfolk, Virginia, for repairs during the secession crises in the winter of 1860–1861. After Virginia seceded from the Union, she was scuttled and partially burned there, 20 April 1861, to prevent her capture by the forces of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

when the Gosport Navy Yard fell into their hands. The Confederates raised her by 23 June 1861, despite her being 30 feet (9.1 meters) deep in mud and water, and planned to sail her up the James River to Richmond. However, when the Navy Yard was recaptured by the Union on 10 May 1862, she had not been moved and the Confederates scuttled her to avoid capture. She was again raised and her hulk sold at auction on 8 February 1864.

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