USS Lady Washington (1776)
Lady Washington was a row galley in the Continental Navy, named in honor of Martha Washington. It was the first U.S. military ship to be named in honor of a woman and the first named for a person while the person was still alive.
Lady Washington was built in New York City in the spring of 1776 at the behest of General George Washington after he transferred his forces from Boston to New York. Constructed with New York funds for the defense of the Hudson River, the galley remained active under Washington through June 1777. During the next year the New York fleet captured about a dozen prizes before the permanent British occupation of the city caused the State to abandon naval activities.
