The New United States in the Age of Sail
Dec 16, 2026, 6:30 PM ET<a href="https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/new-united-states-in-age-of-sail?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223" target="_blank" rel="noopener" title="https://smithsonianassociates.org/ticketing/programs/new-united-states-in-age-of-sail?utm_source=&utm_medium=&utm_campaign=&utm_content=&promo=276223">smithsonianassociates.org…</a>
After the American Revolution, U.S. merchants sought to resume global trade but lacked Royal Navy protection. Historian Carl Herzog of the USS Constitution Museum explains how Barbary corsairs threatened commerce by capturing ships and imprisoning sailors in the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, Americans debated the cost and consequences of funding a standing Navy. Despite controversy and limits, Congress approved its creation, helping secure safer trade routes and expand American commerce in the early 19th century.