1799, The USS Chesapeake was a 38-gun wooden-hulled heavy frigate of the United States Navy.

Live oak was used for Chesapeake's framing as it was a strong, dense, and long-lasting wood weighing up to 75 lb per cubic foot. The live oak tree grows primarily in coastal areas of the United States from Virginia to Texas, with the most suitable timber found in the coastal areas of Georgia near St. Simons. This desire for live oak was the primary cause of delays in the frigates' construction