''Active'' was a

revenue cutter A cutter is any of various types of watercraft. The term can refer to the rig (sail plan) of a sailing vessel (but with regional differences in definition), to a governmental enforcement agency vessel (such as a coast guard or border force cut ...

commission In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...

in the

United States Revenue Cutter Service The United States Revenue Cutter Service was established by an Act of Congress () on 4 August 1790 as the Revenue-Marine at the recommendation of the nation's first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. The federal government bod ...

from 1816 to 1825. She was the third Revenue Cutter service ship to bear the name. The Revenue Cutter Service purchased ''Active'' at

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, in August 1816. Although she worked in

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for a short time in 1817, ''Active'' served on the

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for most of her career. During her first year of service, another USRC ''Active'', chartered in 1812, was in commission, meaning that in 1816-1817 the Revenue Cutter Service had two ships named ''Active'' in commission at the same time. In the early nineteenth century, new laws in the

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prohibited the

slave trade Slave trade may refer to: * History of slavery - overview of slavery It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas: * Al-Andalus slave trade * Atlantic slave trade ** Brazilian slave trade ** Bristol slave trade ** Danish sl ...

between the United States and foreign countries and required the enforcement of Neutrality Acts from 1815 to 1823 during troubles with

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nations, creating new missions for the Revenue Cutter Service. ''Active'' was part of the services efforts to suppress the slave trade and

piracy Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...

. ''Active'' was blown aground in 1823. By then long in need of repairs and replacement, she was decommissioned sometime in 1825.

References

United States Coast Guard Historians Office: ''Active'', 1816
{{DEFAULTSORT:Active (1816) Ships of the United States Revenue Cutter Service Age of Sail ships of the United States