little the fledgling American government could do about it. This was a major philosophical shift for the young Republic, many of whose leaders felt that a Navy would be too expensive to raise and maintain, and would unnecessarily provoke the European powers, in particular Great Britain. In the end, however, it was felt necessary to protect American interests at sea. In March 1796, as construction of the frigates slowly progressed, a peace accord was announced between the United States and Algiers. In accordance with clause nine of the Naval Act of 1794, a clause that specifically directed that construction of the frigates be discontinued if peace was established, construction on all six ships was halted. After some debate and prompting by President Washington, Congress passed an act on 20 April 1796, allowing the construction and funding to continue only on the three ships nearest to completion: , and . By late 1798 however, France began to seize American merchant vessels and the attempt at a diplomatic resolution had resulted in the XYZ Affair, prompting Congress to approve funds for completion of the remaining three frigates: , and . See also History of the United States Navy References Bibliography Abbot, Willis J. (1898). The Naval History of the United States. Volume One. New York, N.Y.: P.F. Collier. This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Government. External links 1794 in American law United States Navy in the 18th century United States federal defense and national security legislation Presidency of George Washington 1794 in the United States 3rd United States Congress