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This is a list of sailing frigates of the United States Navy. Frigates were the backbone of the early Navy, although the list shows that many suffered unfortunate fates.
The sailing frigates of the United States were unique in that their hulls were made of American live oak, a particularly hardy genus that made very resiliant hulls; as a result of this, the ships were known to withstand damage that would have scuppered frigates of other nations. American frigates were also very heavily armed; the USN's 44s were actually armed with approximately 54 to 60 guns, giving them the firepower of a third rate ship of the line. Because of the toughness and firepower of American frigates, British fighting instructions to their frigate captains prohibited them from engaging an American frigate unless there were at least two British frigates for each American.
- Adams 1799-1814
- Alliance 1778-1785
- Bonhomme Richard 1779
- Boston (2nd) 1777-1780
- Boston (3rd) 1799-1814
- Bourbon 1783, never completed
- Brandywine 1825-1864
- Chesapeake 1800-1813, captured by British
- Columbia 1836-1861
- Confederacy 1778-1781, captured by British
- Congress (2nd) 1777, never completed
- Congress (3rd) 1799-1834
- Congress (4th) 1841-1862
- Constellation 1797-1853
- Constitution 1797-present, Old Ironsides
- Cumberland 1842-1862, sunk by CSS Virginia
- Cyane 1815-1835, captured from British
- Deane 1778-1783
- Delaware 1776-1777, captured by British
- Effingham 1777, never completed
- Essex 1799-1814, captured by British
- General Greene 1799-1814, burned
- Guerriere 1814-1841
- Hancock 1776-1777, captured by British
- Hudson 1826-1844
- Insurgent 1799-1800, lost at sea
- John Adams 1799-1867
- New York 1800-1814, burned by British
- Philadelphia 1799-1804, captured by Tripoli
- Potomac 1822-1877
- President 1800-1815, captured by British
- Raleigh 1776-1778, captured by British
- Randolph 1776-1778, exploded in battle
- Raritan 1843-1861
- Sabine 1855-1883
- St. Lawrence 1848-1875
- United States 1797-1865
- Virginia 1776-1778, captured by British
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