Pictured: a built model of this ship — not the historical vessel.

Fair American

Type

Brig

Period

18th Century

Nation

United States

Overview: Fair American is the name given to a Revolutionary War-era American war brig whose fine hull form survives only through a contemporary ship model. That model, Model No. 60 in the Henry Huddleston Rogers ship model collection, is permanently displayed at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Maryland, and the Naval History and Heritage Command catalogs it as a contemporary rigged model of the American privateer, at a scale of ⅜ inch = 1 foot. Because several Revolutionary War vessels shared the name, it is not possible to confirm exactly which Fair American the model depicts, and it should not be confused with the much smaller, later Fair American associated with the 1790 capture in Hawaii. Specifications: One candidate identification for the vessel is a 14-gun privateer commanded by Captain Charles Morgan, described as a Bermuda-built brig (meaning either built in Bermuda or to Bermuda-sloop lines) dating to about 1776. Suggested dimensions for this candidate run roughly 80'8" length overall, 68' on deck, 55'3" on the keel, 24' breadth, 9' depth in hold, 11'8" draft, and about 120 tons burthen. Origins and Identity: The model's own origin is disputed among researchers: one theory holds that the British Admiralty had it built after capturing the vessel, to study her fine hull form and unusually large rig; a competing theory holds the model was made in America and later used to help paint a naval engagement involving the original brig. What is agreed is that the model was in English hands before being acquired by Colonel Henry Huddleston Rogers, whose 1935 bequest brought it, along with the rest of his collection, to the Naval Academy. Service History: A brig of this name, flying English colors after having been captured from the revolutionaries a year or two earlier, took part in the Hyder Ally–General Monk engagement in the Delaware River in April 1782, and was retaken by the Americans when she ran aground while being pursued during that action. A painting of the engagement by Verney, held at the Naval Academy Museum, depicts a brig closely resembling the Rogers model, though the connection between that painting and the model remains conjectural rather than confirmed. Notable Facts: The rigging on the surviving model is not original, having been restored at least twice — by Frederick Avery in 1921 and by Charles Davis in 1933. The popular Model Shipways/Model Expo hobbyist kit based on this vessel is unusual in being a "model of a model": rather than reproducing a specific, well-documented ship, it reproduces the Rogers Collection model itself, whose exact subject and purpose remain uncertain.