USS Independence

Five United States Navy ships have borne the name USS Independence, symbolizing the universal desire to be free of domination by others.

• The first Independence was a 10-gun sloop bought in 1775 and wrecked in 1778.

• The second Independence was a 12-gun brig purchased in 1777 and sold in 1779.

• The third Independence was the first ship of the line in the Navy, launched as a 74-gun ship, but later razeed down to a 54-gun frigate, then after 1857 used as a receiving ship until 1912.

• The fourth Independence (CVL-22) was a light aircraft carrier active in World War II.

• The fifth Independence (CV-62) was an aircraft carrier commissioned in 1959 and decommissioned in 1998.