USS ''Portsmouth'' was constructed for the United States Navy in 1798 by master shipbuilder James Hackett to a design of Josiah Fox at what is now

Badger's Island Badger's Island is located in the Piscataqua River at Kittery, Maine, directly opposite Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It carries U.S. Route 1 between the states, connecting to the Kittery mainland by the Badger's Island Bridge, and to New Hampshire b ...

in Kittery, Maine, directly across the Piscataqua River from

Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsmou ...

. She was built with funds contributed by the citizens of Portsmouth. Commanded by Captain Daniel McNeil, ''Portsmouth'' operated in the West Indies during the Quasi-War with France in the squadron commanded by Commodore John Barry. In 1800, she sailed to France to bring back the United States envoys who had concluded peace negotiations with France. After a second cruise in the

Caribbean The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...

, ''Portsmouth'' was sold less than three years later at

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...

, in 1801, after the military cutbacks ordered by the new

Jefferson Jefferson may refer to: Names * Jefferson (surname) * Jefferson (given name) People * Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States * Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian foo ...

Administration after the peace signed with France ending the Quasi-War in 1800.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Portsmouth (1798) Ships of the United States Navy Age of Sail naval ships of the United States Ships built in Kittery, Maine 1798 ships