USS Randolph (1776)

History
United States
Name	USS Randolph
Namesake	Peyton Randolph
Ordered	13 December 1775
Builder	Wharton and Humphreys
Launched	10 July 1776
Fate	Sunk by explosion, 7 March 1778 (311 killed/4 survived)
General characteristics
Type	Frigate
Length	132 ft 9 in (40.46 m)
Beam	34 ft 6 in (10.52 m)
Draft	18 ft (5.5 m)
Depth	10 ft 6 in (3.20 m)
Complement	315
Armament	26 x 12 pdrs; 10 x 6 pdrs
Service record
Commanders:	Capt. Nicholas Biddle
Operations:	American Revolutionary War Battle of Barbados

The first USS Randolph was a 32-gun frigate in the Continental Navy named for Founding Father Peyton Randolph, the president of the First Continental Congress. Attaining only moderate success in her career, Randolph was destroyed by an explosion of her gunpowder stores during a naval action on 8 March 1778.