The Department of the Navy of the early 19th century was a small entity, with only six full time employees at the Department’s headquarters in Washington, DC. Matthew Brenckle in The Journal of the Early Americas, August 2013. Sources and Recommended ReadingĪrticles of the First Necessity: US Navy Uniform Clothing during the War of 1812. Want to join? Send us a message and get started! Many items can be purchased ready-made from sutlers or made from commercial patterns, and our in-house system for patterning and cutting uniform jackets means that you can have a hand-tailored, historically-patterned jacket for an affordable price with a minimal wait time. Any visible stitching above the waist must be done by hand. Overcoats and pea jacket to period patternsĭark blue wool broadcloth trousers in same pattern as whitesĪs with historic fashions of the time, all clothing should be well-fitted to the individual. Knit wool Monmouth cap in grey, white, black, red, blue, or brown. Waistcoat in white or white and blue striped linen or cotton Jacket in white linen, hemp, or cotton in the sealed jacket pattern Low (preferred) or tall/brogan (less preferred) tie (preferred) or buckle black leather shoes ![]() No other jacket is acceptable.Ī red wool square-cut waistcoat with welted pockets and small yellow metal buttonsĪ white or blue and white checked linen (preferred) or cotton shirt with a tall 1810s collarįall front early 19th century style white trousers in linen or hemp, cut tight in the thigh and straight below the knee, waistband reaching above the naval and held up by braces or suspenders Ship’s Company purchases navy blue broadcloth by the bolt for members to purchase by the yard at a discount, and provides the uniform buttons for discounted sale as well. This item must be made from the unit sealed pattern, which is available in chest sizes 34-48” and provided to all dues-paying members to copy for free upon request. Brenckle, Hatter )Ī dark blue wool double-breasted broadcloth jacket with welted pockets and 9 small “lazy eagle” buttons or plain brass buttons on each breast and 3 on each functional cuff, faced in same dark blue wool. While not all Ship’s company members own all of the items described by the Secretary of the Navy, our basic required Dress Uniform consists ofĪ black hat made of wool felt with a tall crown, narrow brim, and plain black grosgrain ribbon, made on a round block (preferred source is M. The following, are considered articles of the first necessity, & what is generally understood, by the term, Slop Clothing, viz. The Secretary of the Navy described slop clothing as such: While slop clothing only came in three sizes, sailors skillfully picked apart and resewed their clothing into the tight look fashionable in the 1810s, or paid a shipmate to do it for them. While the uniform of US Navy sailors of the War of 1812 was not as closely prescriptive as modern naval uniforms, the Navy Department provided ready-made “slop clothing” produced by contractors to an established pattern, while a ship’s own “Internal Regulations” specified exactly what clothing each man was to own and when to wear it. Approximately 15% of all US Navy sailors during the War of 1812 were black. ![]() The average age of a sailor on USS Constitution during the War of 1812 was 28, with an average height of 5'6. While Royal Navy sailors were subject to impressment and could spend decades at sea, US Navy sailors of the early 19th century joined of their own free will, often after several years in the merchant service. In contrast to its modest size, the theatre that the US Navy fought in was vast in scope and variety, ranging from raiding on British whalers in the South Pacific, to ship-to-ship frigate actions in the Atlantic and on Lake Erie, brig, sloop, and schooner actions on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, smaller ship and gunboat actions throughout the Chesapeake and its tributaries, and the use of naval artillery pieces manned by sailors in land battles in the Chesapeake and Louisiana. When war was declared against Britain in June of 1812, the US Navy was quite small in size compared to the Royal Navy, comprised of six frigates authorized by the Naval Act of 1794 and other ships including gunboats, with around 5,000 sailors and 1,000 marines.
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