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VincennesU.S. Ship Vincennes
Flagship of the U.S. Exploring Expedition. The sloop of war U.S.S. Vincennes was built in 1826 and in 1830 became the first U.S. ship to circumnavigate the globe. In 1853-1856, the Vincennes, under the command of Cadwallader Ringgold, participated in the North Pacific Exploring Expedition, along with the U.S. Brig Porpoise. The Vincennes and the Porpoise were the only two of the original vessels to complete the voyage of the U.S. Exploring Expedition.

Year of Launch:
1826
Type of Vessel:
sloop of war
Displacement:
700 t
Length:
127'
Beam:
34.75'
Depth in Hold:
16.5'
Guns:
10
Speed (knots):
10.5
Crew:
190
Original Purpose:
sloop of war

Information compiled from Magnificent Voyagers: The U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842, edited by Herman J. Viola and Carolnn Margolis (Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., 1985), Appendix I "Charcteristics of Selected Exploring Vessles" compiled by Philip K. Lundeberg; Sea of Glory: America's Voyage of Discover, The U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-1842 by Nathaniel Philbrick (Viking, New York, 2003), and The great United States Exploring Expedition of 1838-1842 by William Stanton (University of California Press, Berkeley, 1975); The Wilkes Expedition: The First United States Exploring Expedition (1838-1842) by David B. Tyler (The American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, 1968).

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