Credit: Courtesy of the United States Naval Historical Center
One of the six frigates constructed in Philadelphia for America's newly created navy, the USS Philadelphia was captured by Barbary pirates in 1803. Posing as local traders, Lieutenant Stephen Decatur and his crew in the ketch Intrepid, entered Tripoli's harbor, set the Philadelphia ablaze, to prevent its use by enemies, then escaped without the loss of a single life. The daring raid thrilled Americans back home, and made Decatur a national hero. Indeed, Admiral Lord Nelson called this "the most bold and daring act of the age."
