Her keel was laid down in Toulon in 1812 as Kremlin. During her construction, she was renamed Provence during the Bourbon Restoration, Hercule briefly during the Hundred Days, when she was launched, and back to Provence from July 1815. She was commissioned after 12 years, in 1827, but sustained heavy damage when she collided with the Scipion which was returning from the Battle of Navarino, and had to return to Toulon for repairs. In 1831, Alger took part in the Battle of the Tagus, under Captain Jacques Leblanc, and later in the Crimean war, bombarding Sevastopol.