Malcolm Rivera
The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, is a three-masted wooden-hulled heavy frigate of the United States Navy. It is the world's oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat. The USS Constitution was one of six original frigates authorised for construction by the Naval Act of 1794 and launched in 1797. The other five frigates were the United States, Constellation, Chesapeake, Congress, and President.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of ships commissioned with the Constitution | 5 |
| Names of the ships | United States, Constellation, Chesapeake, President, and Congress |
| Name of the ship that was commissioned later | Chesapeake |
| Date of authorization for the construction of the ships | March 27, 1794 |
| Total cost of the ships | $688,888.82 (equivalent to $18.1 million in 2023) |
| Place of construction | Edmund Hartt's Shipyard in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts |
| Date of launch | October 21, 1797 |
| Length | 204 feet (62 meters) |
| Displacement | 2,200 tons |
| Gun range | 1,200 yards (1,100 meters) |
| Number of guns | 44 |
| Number of crew members | 450 |
| Original cost of the vessel | $300,000 |
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What You'll Learn
- The USS Constitution was one of the original six frigates of the US Navy
- The USS Constellation was also recommissioned in 1940
- The USS Chesapeake was the sixth frigate, named in 1799
- The USS Congress was one of the first five ships named by President Washington
- There were other ships named Constitution, including a transatlantic passenger liner
The USS Constitution was one of the original six frigates of the US Navy
The USS Constitution, also known as "Old Ironsides", is one of the original six frigates of the US Navy. It was launched in 1797 in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 21, and is the world's oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat. The other original frigates were the Chesapeake, United States, Congress, and Constellation. These ships were built during the early years of the US Navy, with the recommendation that they be powerful enough to take on any frigates of the French or British navies, yet swift enough to outrun any ship of the line.
The Constitution's hull is made of three layers of white oak planking and dense live oak framing, forming a sturdy structure over 22 inches thick at the waterline. This unique construction earned the ship its nickname during the War of 1812, when British cannonballs bounced off its sides. The Constitution served as Commodore Edward Preble's flagship in the war against the Tripoli pirates (1801-1805), and the peace treaty was signed aboard the ship.
After the War of 1812, the Constitution was celebrated for its victories but was no longer needed. It was laid up in Boston and underwent extensive repairs. In 1830, the ship was condemned as unseaworthy, but public sentiment, influenced by Oliver Wendell Holmes's poem "Old Ironsides", led to its preservation and rebuilding. The Constitution began a circumnavigation of the globe in 1844 and was designated a museum ship in 1907.
Today, the USS Constitution is America's official "Ship of State" and is berthed at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Massachusetts. It has a crew of 75 officers and sailors, who participate in ceremonies, educational programs, and special events, while also offering free tours to visitors. The ship's mission is to promote understanding of the Navy's role in war and peace through educational outreach, historical demonstration, and active participation in public events.
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The USS Constellation was also recommissioned in 1940
The USS Constitution is a naval warship that was launched in 1797. It is the world's oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat, having served in four different centuries. The USS Constellation, on the other hand, was commissioned in 1855, almost six decades after the USS Constitution. The USS Constellation was built in 1854 and is the last sail-only warship designed and built by the US Navy. It was commissioned on July 28, 1855, under the command of Captain Charles H. Bell.
The USS Constellation was recommissioned in 1940 as part of the build-up in anticipation of the United States' entry into World War II. The ship was reclassified as a miscellaneous, unclassified, auxiliary, IX-20, on January 8, 1941. On May 21, 1941, the USS Constellation became the reserve flagship for Admiral Ernest J. King, the commander-in-chief of the Atlantic Fleet. The ship was later replaced by USS Ronald Reagan, and after 41 years of commissioned service, it was decommissioned at the Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego on August 7, 2003.
The USS Constellation has had a long and varied history, including transporting exhibits for the 1878 Exposition Universelle in Paris and carrying food to Ireland during the 1879 Irish famine. The ship was also used for midshipmen training cruises for 22 years, starting in 1871. In 1892, the USS Constellation was recommissioned to help assemble works of art in Gibraltar for the World's Columbian Exposition. The ship was decommissioned for preservation in 1933, but with the outbreak of World War II in Europe in 1939, it was recommissioned on August 24, 1940, as part of the United States' prewar buildup.
The USS Constellation has seen several periods of decommissioning and recommissioning throughout its history. It was decommissioned in 1869 and later recommissioned in 1871 for midshipmen training cruises. In 1893, it was reduced to a stationary training hulk and remained in Newport for the next 20 years. The ship was decommissioned again in 1897 and underwent repairs before being recommissioned in 1940. After World War II, the USS Constellation was decommissioned, and plans were made to turn the ship into a memorial in Boston, but a lack of funds prevented this.
The USS Constellation, recommissioned in 1940, played a crucial role in the build-up to World War II and served as a flagship for the commander of the Atlantic Fleet. It underwent several modifications and served in various capacities, including training cruises and transporting exhibits. The ship was decommissioned multiple times but was always recommissioned as the need arose, showcasing its versatility and historical significance.
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The USS Chesapeake was the sixth frigate, named in 1799
The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, is a three-masted wooden-hulled heavy frigate of the United States Navy. It is the world's oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat. The ship was launched in 1797, on October 21, as one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794.
The six frigates were originally designated by the letters A through F. In March 1795, Secretary of War Timothy Pickering prepared a list of ten suggested names for the ships. President George Washington was responsible for selecting five of the names: Constitution, United States, President, and Congress, each of which represented a principle of the United States Constitution, together with Constellation, which was derived from the blazon of the Arms of the United States, "13 stars, forming a constellation."
The sixth frigate, the USS Chesapeake, was initially left unnamed and remained so until 1799, when Secretary of the Navy Benjamin Stoddert designated her namesake as Chesapeake Bay, ignoring the previous Constitutional naming protocol. The Chesapeake was built at the Gosport Navy Yard in Virginia and was launched on December 2, 1799. It was the only one of the six frigates to be disowned by Humphreys due to liberties taken by its Master Constructor Josiah Fox during construction, which affected its overall dimensions.
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The USS Congress was one of the first five ships named by President Washington
The USS Constitution is the world's oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat. It was launched in 1797 and was the third of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. The name "Constitution" was among ten names submitted to President George Washington by Secretary of War Timothy Pickering in March or May 1795. The other nine names included USS Congress, USS President, USS United States, and USS Constellation.
USS Congress was one of the first five ships named by President Washington. It was a three-masted heavy frigate, built by James Hackett at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Launched on 15 August 1799, it was nominally rated as a 38-gun frigate but often carried up to 48 guns. The name "Congress" was chosen from the same list of ten names submitted to President Washington by Secretary Pickering. Joshua Humphreys intended for these frigates to serve as the young Navy's capital ships, so Congress and her sister ships were larger and more heavily armed than the standard frigates of the period.
Congress's first duties with the newly formed United States Navy were to protect American merchant shipping during the Quasi-War with France and to defeat the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War. During the War of 1812, she made several extended cruises in company with her sister ship, President, and captured or assisted in the capture of twenty British merchant vessels.
After the War of 1812, Congress was placed in ordinary (mothballed) in Boston, along with United States and New York. In 1804, she was recommissioned and sailed from the Washington Navy Yard to patrol off the coast of Tangier. She continued on to Tripoli, where she served as the Mediterranean Squadron flagship.
Today, the USS Constitution's stated mission is to promote understanding of the Navy's role in war and peace through educational outreach, historical demonstration, and active participation in public events as part of the Naval History and Heritage Command. She remains a fully commissioned Navy ship with a crew of 75 officers and sailors who participate in ceremonies, educational programs, and special events while keeping her open to visitors year-round and providing free tours.
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There were other ships named Constitution, including a transatlantic passenger liner
The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, is a three-masted wooden-hulled heavy frigate of the United States Navy. It is the world's oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat. The USS Constitution was launched in 1797 in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 21, and is the sole surviving ship of the original six frigates of the US Navy.
Another ship named Constitution sailed from England to Australia in 1851, carrying 100 passengers, 84 of whom were in steerage. In addition, a brig called the Constitution was built in Bremen, Germany, and launched in October 1820.
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Frequently asked questions
Five other ships were commissioned with the USS Constitution, as part of the original six frigates of the United States Navy. These were the United States, Constellation, Chesapeake, President, and Congress.
The original six frigates were authorised by the Naval Act of 1794, with the USS Constitution being launched in 1797.
The ships were built "in defence of commerce" and to be the strongest, fastest, and most heavily armed frigates of the era. The USS Constitution's first mission was to protect American merchant vessels in the Caribbean, which were being captured by French privateers.
Yes, there have been several other ships named Constitution. These include:
- A brig built in Bremen, Germany, in 1820
- A ship that sailed from England to Australia in 1851
- A transatlantic steam liner built after World War II
- A Taiwanese cruise ship that operated in Hawaii in the 1980s
