The first USS George Washington was a sloop in the United States Navy. She was named after President George Washington. George Washington was built as a merchant vessel at Providence, R.I., in 1793; purchased by the Congress at Providence 12 October 1798 from John Brown and John Francis for use in the developing undeclared naval war (the so-called Quasi-War) with France, and converted to a warship under the supervision of Captain Silas Talbot with Captain Patrick Fletcher in command.