US Navy ships of the line and force-planning limits

Should the United States have completed or built more ships of the line?

Their value depended on the opponent: the United States could not outbuild Britain, and Spain also fielded a larger sailing battle fleet.

The value of additional US ships of the line depends on the opponent the US Navy expected to fight. It could not outbuild the Royal Navy in that period, while an earlier war with Spain would still confront a Spanish sailing fleet larger than the American one. Additional hulls would therefore improve American strength without necessarily producing a favourable strategic balance against either major opponent. Force structure has to begin with missions and likely enemies rather than the prestige of owning more capital ships.