Civil War ships for a possible war with BritainSourced
During the American Civil War, the Union built ships for a second, feared war.
In 1863 the Union Navy feared Britain might enter the Civil War on the Confederate side. It planned fast Wampanoag-class frigates to attack British commerce if that happened. Britain did not enter the war, and only five of eight planned ships went into service, briefly.
They were built for a conflict that never came.
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Wampanoag-class frigate · Wikimedia contributors
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Reviewed: 2026-10-01