d, not merely
British property, but property, to whomsoever belonging, which was grown
or manufactured in England or her colonies, should be a lawful prize to
French cruisers. This extravagant claim, which not only seized goods
that had been heretofore and by all others accounted free, but also,
contrary to precedent, confiscated the vessel as well as the cargo,
broke down the patience of the United States, where the Government was
then still in the hands of the Federalists, whose sympathies were rather
British than French. Nearly a year before, President Adams had called a
special meeting of Congress and recommended an increase of the navy, to
the numerical weakness of which was due the recklessness with which both
Great Britain and France inflicted insult and injury upon our seamen
and upon our commerce. That the United States of that day, so inferior
in wealth and numbers to both belligerents, should dream of entering the
lists with either singly, was perhaps hopeless; but through the
indifference of Congress the navy of a people, then second only to the
English as maritime carriers, was left so utterly impotent that it
counted for naught, even as an additional embarrassment to those with
which the contending powers were already weighted. When, therefore, in
retaliation for the seizures made under the French decree of January,
1798, Congress, without declaring war, directed the capture of French
armed vessels, wherever found on the high seas, it became necessary to
begin building a navy which to some slight degree might carry out the
order. An act, intended to hasten the increase of the navy, was passed
in June, 1798, authorizing the President to accept such vessels as might
be built by the citizens for the national service, and to issue
six-per-cent stock to indemnify the subscribers.

Under this law the Essex was built in Salem, Massachusetts, by a
subscription raised among the citizens. As the project grew, and the
amount likely to be obtained became manifest, the purpose to which it
should be devoted was determined to be the building of a frigate of
thirty-two guns; one of the well-recognized, but smaller, classes under
which the vessels called frigates were subdivided. Except the work of
the naval architect proper, the model and the superintendence, which
were undertaken by a gentleman from Portsmouth, everything in the
building and equipment was portioned out among Salem men, and was
supplied from the resources