How did the 74-gun USS America compare with British and French ships?
Short answerIt was built from green timber and carried a relatively light 18-pounder battery, so it was weaker and less durable than leading British or French contemporaries.
NotesUSS America was competently shaped but compromised by wartime construction from unseasoned timber. Its 18-pounder main battery was light beside comparable ships carrying 24- or 36-pounders, leaving it with a relatively weak broadside. The French purchase later made sense as a quick way to replace wartime fleet losses, not as proof that the ship equaled the best European 74s.