Looking at US line ships
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_of_the_line_of_the_United_States_Navy
there clearly was a programme that was cancelled in 1800
Presumably this programme already had congressional approval? A war scare in 1807 may well be enough to resurrect it
Best Regards
Grey Wolf
Yeah that's the rub right there, maybe more trouble with the Indians or such, truth was I wasn't thinking too much of an increase maybe twice as large (still not large) with better plans for mobilizing the militia in case of war and better equipment/training for themIt's barely advanced from the point of having the plans. You'd pretty much have to start all over again.
Ramscoopraider: Now get that through the part of the government that fervently believes standing armies are an instrument of the worst sort of tyranny and militia soldiers are the best anyway.
Yeah that's the rub right there, maybe more trouble with the Indians or such, truth was I wasn't thinking too much of an increase maybe twice as large (still not large) with better plans for mobilizing the militia in case of war and better equipment/training for them
Perhaps if the Federalists were in control of the White House and Congress, the US could develop a standing military.
Maybe. There were plans in Adams's term, but what would get a Federalist success on this level in 1808?
Maybe if the US actually goes to war with France in the Quasi-War and gains some French Islands in the Caribbean.
If the US does build more ships earlier with this POD, they're not going to even try to build SOLs... what they'll do is build a few more of those upgunned frigates that gave the RN a minor headache. But only a few... the USA just doesn't have the funds to do more than that...Free Lancer, since the argument for a much larger USN and that for the US pouring ships out when the US wasn't even able to get a single SOL into service during the war OTL...
Starting with a POD around 1800 you could see the US build a fleet of 12 SOL and 24 heavy frigates by 1812. Until Napoleon is dealt with the British wouldn't be capable of sending anymore than they did in OTL as France was rapidly rebuilding her fleet.