The Lexington battlecruisers were not battle-line substitutes

Did the US Navy seek battlecruisers before the Lexington class, and what were the Lexingtons meant to do?

Earlier interest was limited; the Lexingtons were battlecruisers intended for cruiser hunting, escort, and commerce operations rather than the battle line.

There is little evidence of a serious pre-Lexington attempt to secure a different battlecruiser programme from Congress. The Lexington design still belongs in the battlecruiser category despite its unusual American development path. Its intended work centred on destroying cruisers, escorting other forces, and operating in commerce protection or raiding. Judging it as a direct substitute for a battleship therefore misstates the mission around which it was designed.