WI: USS United States (1797) Survives the American Civil War

Delta Force

Banned
The USS United States was the first of the original six frigates ordered for the United States Navy. The outbreak of the American Civil War found it at Norfolk Naval Yard, where it avoided being burned because yard workers felt the old ship would be of minimal use to the Confederates. They failed to take into account the Confederacy's desperation for ships, and it was pressed into service with the Confederate Navy, being scuttled in the Elizabeth River in May 1862. The old timbers were so tough that axes failed to scuttle the ship, and the Confederates had to bore holes in its bottom.

At the time of the scuttling, the United States and Constitution were the last two original frigates of the Navy in existence (however, many components of the old Constellation were used to build a larger second Constellation in the 1850s, which still exists). If the Confederacy hadn't pressed the United States into service, is it likely that the ship would still exist today as a museum ship? Would the survival of the United States change the fates of the Constitution and Constellation, or are they likely to survive into the era in which people began to preserve historic ships anyways?
 
Best case both the United States and the Constitution survive. Worst case is neither survive and due to butterflies flapping their wings the world has been devastated by 3 nuclear wars by now.
 
That a wooden ship should survive so long should be considered extremely lucky and fortunate. Preservation of such ships as the Constitution and the Victory usually happened years after they have seen active service in their respective navies. The use of such ships as museums is a 20th century concept, the Constitution being designated as such in 1907.
 
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