For other ships of the same name, see

Enterprise (20 December 1776 – February 1777), was the second American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 ship to bear the name. She was a successful privateer

Privateer

A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...

 before she was purchased for the Continental Navy

Continental Navy

The Continental Navy was the navy of the United States during the American Revolutionary War, and was formed in 1775. Through the efforts of the Continental Navy's patron, John Adams and vigorous Congressional support in the face of stiff opposition, the fleet cumulatively became relatively...

 in 1776. Commanded by Captain James Campbell, the schooner

Schooner

A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....

 Enterprise operated principally in Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...

. She convoy

Convoy

A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...

ed transports, carried out reconnaissance, and guarded the shores against foraging raids by the British. Only meager records of her service have been found; they indicate that she was apparently returned to the Maryland Council of Safety in 1777.

Only commissioned ships of the US Navy carry the USS (United States Ship). The Navy also uses the prefix retroactively for ships that would have been commissioned under current practice. Since the first USS Enterprise

USS Enterprise (1775)

Enterprise was a Continental Navy sloop-of-war that served in Lake Champlain during the American Revolutionary War. She is the first of a long and prestigious line of United States Navy ships to bear the name Enterprise....

was still in service, this Enterprise would not have been commissioned by the US Navy and does not use the USS prefix.

Sources

• Enterprise (II) at DANFS