The USS Essex was a sailing frigate that participated in the Quasi-War with France, the First Barbary War, and in the War of 1812. She was first launched on 30 September 1799. 

With the United States involved in naval action against France on 6 January 1800, USS Essex, under the command of Captain Preble, departed Newport, Rhode Island, in company with Congress to rendezvous with a convoy of merchant ships returning from Batavia. During this journey, Essex became the first US Naval ship to cross the Equator. After the USS Congress was dismasted, USS Essex was obliged to continue her voyage alone, making her mark as the first US man-of-war to double the Cape of Good Hope, both in March and in August 1800 prior to successfully completing her convoy mission in November.

When war was declared against Britain on 18 June 1812, USS Essex was commanded by Captain David Porter. On 11 July near Bermuda she fell in with seven British transports and by moonlight engaged and took one of them as a prize. On 13 August she encountered and captured the sloop HMS Alert.

When USS Essex engaged HMS Alert in the Atlantic on August 13, 1812, she won the distinction of being the first Yankee warship to capture a ship of the Royal Navy. Porter kept his gunports closed making Laugharne believe that Essex was a merchantman. This gave confidence to Laugharne in maneuvering his ship within pistol shot range of Essex, which in turn ran out her carronades and devastated Alert. In keeping with the chivalrous practice of the times, Porter then allowed Laugharne to sail his ship to Newfoundland so he could disembark his crew, after which he was honor-bound to surrender the Alert to American authorities in New York.

During her first eight weeks at sea before that battle, USS Essex had taken nine British commercial ships. In a stunning feat of naval daring, Captain David Porter proceeded to carried off an extended cruise, far from American waters, repairing and provisioning both his own ship and those he had taken as prizes. During 17 months at sea he went on to sweep the vast reaches of the Pacific of British merchantmen, whalers, and warships, taking 16 vessels in all. The youngest member of the Essex crew was 10-year-old midshipman David Glasgow Farragut, who would become the first admiral of the US Navy. Farragut, who was Captain Porter's foster son, remained with the ship for the next two years.

A British fleet was finally dispatched to pursue the Essex. In January 1814, USS Essex sailed into neutral waters at Valparaíso, Chile, only to be trapped there for six weeks by the British frigate HMS Phoebe (36 guns) and the sloop-of-war HMS Cherub (18 guns.) On 28 March 1814, Porter determined to gain the open sea, fearing the arrival of British reinforcements. Upon rounding the point, Essex lost her main top-mast to foul weather, putting her at a serious disadvantage in the gun battle. For 2+1⁄2 hours, Phoebe and Cherub bombarded Essex from long range. Eventually, the hopeless situation forced Porter to surrender. Her crew fought valiantly. Of 255 men, 58 were killed and 65 wounded. She was captured in 1814 and then served as HMS Essex until sold at public auction on 6 June 1837.

President Madison paid tribute to the USS Essex with his words "her loss is hidden in the blaze of heroism."