Q&A · 3:00:20-3:00:50

What North American yards build after a failed Revolution

Colonial yards inside a continuing British system would probably build Royal Navy patterns rather than the United States' historical six frigates.

Question

If the American Revolution failed, would colonial yards build warships and would the six-frigate designs still exist?

Short answer

The yards would likely build Royal Navy third rates and frigates, making the independent six-frigate program much less likely.

Notes

North American yards would likely enter Royal Navy production and build established third-rate and fifth-rate patterns. That work would give the yards a different technical and institutional path from the independent United States Navy. The famous six-frigate design program might therefore never arise, because the same industrial base would already be producing ships of the line and conventional frigates for Britain.