USS Independence (1776 sloop)
1974 painting of Independence by William Nowland Van Powell  | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Name | USS Independence | 
| Namesake | Freedom from control by others; self-government | 
| Builder | built in Baltimore, Maryland | 
| Laid down | date unknown | 
| Acquired | by the Marine Committee | 
| In service | circa September 1776 | 
| Out of service | 24 April 1778 (wrecked) | 
| Honors & awards  | received salutes to the new American Republic from a foreign nation | 
| Fate | Wrecked on the bar 24 April 1778 while attempting to enter Okracoke Inlet, North Carolina | 
| General characteristics | |
| Type | sloop | 
| Displacement | not known | 
| Length | not known | 
| Beam | not known | 
| Draft | not known | 
| Propulsion | sloop sail | 
| Speed | not known | 
| Complement | not known | 
| Armament | 10 guns | 
USS Independence was a 10-gun sloop of the Continental Navy. Acting as a dispatch boat, she was sent to France on a diplomatic mission – carrying important dispatches. While there, John Paul Jones embarked on her, and she received additional salutes to the American Republic from the French.