Omar Bennett
The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, is a three-masted wooden-hulled heavy frigate of the United States Navy. It is the only active ship in the US Navy to have sunk an enemy ship in combat. The USS Constitution was launched in 1797 and saw action in the First Barbary War, sinking several pirate gunboats. During the War of 1812, the USS Constitution defeated six Royal Navy ships: HMS Guerriere, HMS Java, HMS Pictou, HMS Cyane, HMS Levant, and another unnamed frigate.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | USS Constitution, Old Ironsides |
| Type | Three-masted wooden-hulled heavy frigate |
| Launch year | 1797 |
| Length | 204 ft (62 m) |
| Width | 43 ft 6 in (13.26 m) |
| Crew | 350 |
| Armament | 44-55 guns |
| Notable battles | War of 1812, First Barbary War |
| Ships sunk | HMS Guerriere, HMS Java, several pirate gunboats |
| Current status | Oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat, used for educational purposes |
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What You'll Learn
USS Constitution's role in the War of 1812
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 and was one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794.
The USS Constitution played a significant role in the War of 1812 with the United Kingdom. During the war, the ship captured numerous British merchantmen and five warships: HMS Guerriere, Java, Pictou, Cyane, and Levant. Its capture of Guerriere earned it the nickname "Old Ironsides", reflecting the public adoration that had repeatedly saved it from being scrapped.
In the early stages of the war, the USS Constitution played a crucial role in winning a series of single-ship duels between American and British warships. The frigate successfully outran a large British squadron in 1812 and subsequently defeated four Royal Navy ships in combat. The ship's ability to outmaneuver its opponents was a testament to the leadership of its commanding officers and the teamwork of its crew.
The USS Constitution's engagement with HMS Guerriere is particularly notable. The USS Constitution, under the command of Captain Isaac Hull, encountered the Guerriere off the coast of Nova Scotia. The Guerriere, a French-built, British-captured 38-gun frigate armed with 49 guns, challenged the USS Constitution to a fight. In response, Captain Hull answered with four American ensigns. The USS Constitution, rated as a 44-gun frigate, was outfitted with 55 guns during this encounter. The USS Constitution's battery of guns typically consisted of 30 long 24-pounder cannons, with 15 on each side of the gun deck. The duel with Guerriere earned the ship its famous nickname, Old Ironsides, when the round shot appeared to bounce off its 22-inch-thick hull, with an American seaman exclaiming, "Huzza! Her sides are made of iron!"
Less than five months after sinking the Guerriere, the USS Constitution, under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, engaged another British frigate, HMS Java, about 30 miles off the coast of Brazil. Outfitted with 54 guns, the USS Constitution opened fire on the Java, a smaller and faster 38-gun ship commanded by Captain Henry Lambert. Despite the Java's initial damage to the USS Constitution's rigging and spars, and the wounding of Captain Bainbridge, the USS Constitution ultimately prevailed. Bainbridge directed the ship using block and tackle, and a final broadside led to the Java's surrender shortly before it sank.
Overall, while the American fleet had numerous successes during the War of 1812, their actions, including those of the USS Constitution, did not significantly impact the outcome of the war. However, these victories did boost American morale and dispelled the myth of the Royal Navy's invincibility.
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Sinking of HMS Guerriere
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, having been launched in 1797.
The Sinking of HMS Guerriere was a significant battle between an American and British ship during the War of 1812. The USS Constitution, commanded by Captain Isaac Hull, defeated the HMS Guerriere, commanded by Captain James Richard Dacres, about 400-600 miles southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia, on August 19, 1812. The HMS Guerriere was a 38-gun frigate of the French Navy, which was captured by the British and recommissioned.
During the battle, the USS Constitution, a 44-gun frigate, was outfitted with 55 guns, while the HMS Guerriere had 49 guns. The HMS Guerriere hoisted several British ensigns as an invitation to fight, and the USS Constitution answered with four American ensigns. The battle lasted nearly an hour, and the HMS Guerriere was badly damaged by the USS Constitution's heavier and more accurate fire. The HMS Guerriere lost all three masts and fired a lee gun to surrender. The USS Constitution rescued about 200 sailors, taking them as prisoners of war. The HMS Guerriere sank the following day, and the victory boosted American morale and shaped America's reputation as a seapower.
The USS Constitution earned its nickname, "Old Ironsides," during the engagement with the HMS Guerriere. This nickname was given when an American sailor witnessed an enemy round bounce off the ship, exclaiming that her sides were made of iron. The victory over the HMS Guerriere was the young American Navy's first triumph over a Royal Navy ship during the War of 1812.
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Sinking of HMS Java
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 and was one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794.
On December 29, 1812, while cruising off the coast of Brazil, the USS Constitution's masthead lookout sighted two ships on the horizon. One of these ships was the HMS Java, a 38-gun frigate of the British Royal Navy. The Java, under the command of Captain Henry Lambert, maneuvered to close with the Constitution. As the range decreased, the Americans opened fire, but the gun crews had difficulty hitting their target. The Java soon ranged alongside the Constitution, and the battle commenced.
As the two ships maneuvered to rake each other, the Java suddenly turned under the American's stern and fired. British shots smashed the Constitution's wheel and wounded or killed the four quartermasters manning it. The same broadside also shattered a railing surrounding the after hatchway, embedding a shard of copper in Commodore William Bainbridge's thigh. Despite his wound, Bainbridge rallied his crew and took steps to regain control of the ship. The heavy American shot, coupled with the defensive properties of the Constitution's thick hull, began to turn the tide of battle.
Captain Lambert decided to board the American frigate, aiming the Java's shattered bow at the Constitution. As the two ships neared, American shot toppled the Java's foremast, and the boarding attempt failed. Soon after, Lambert received a mortal wound in the chest. The Americans fired several more broadsides, damaging the Java's three masts and bowsprit and leaving many of her guns inoperable. An hour later, the Constitution swept back and took up a raking position off the Java's bow. Lieutenant Henry Ducie Chads surrendered the ship, marking the Constitution's second victory of the War of 1812.
After removing the British prisoners, Bainbridge determined that he could not tow the Java to an American port. A demolition party lit fires in the Java's hold, causing the magazine to explode and the ship to sink. Although the Constitution suffered damage to her rig and hull, she made it back to Boston on February 15, 1813, where she was greeted as a hero.
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Constitution's mission to protect American merchants
The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, is the world's oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat. It was launched in 1797, one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. The ship was built at Edmund Hartt's shipyard in Boston, Massachusetts, and its first duties were to provide protection for American merchant shipping during the Quasi-War with France and to defeat the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War.
In 1785, Barbary pirates, notably from Algiers, started seizing American merchant vessels in the Mediterranean Sea. This posed a significant threat to American commerce and the safety of its citizens. In 1793 alone, 11 American ships were captured, and their crews and stores held for ransom. The USS Constitution was designed to be larger and more heavily armed than standard frigates of the period, making it well-suited for its mission to protect American merchants.
During the Quasi-War with France, which lasted from 1798 to 1800, the USS Constitution patrolled the Caribbean Sea and the coast of the United States, escorting American merchant ships and protecting them from French warships and privateers. The presence of the USS Constitution provided a strong deterrent to potential attackers and helped ensure the safe passage of American commerce.
In addition to its role in the Quasi-War, the USS Constitution also played a crucial part in the First Barbary War from 1801 to 1805. The Barbary pirates had been demanding tribute from American merchants and attacking American ships in the Mediterranean. The USS Constitution was dispatched to the region, where it demonstrated American naval power and helped secure a peace treaty with the Barbary States.
The USS Constitution's mission to protect American merchants extended beyond its early years. During the War of 1812, the ship was tasked with protecting American commerce from British attacks. Under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, the USS Constitution was outfitted with 54 guns and sailed under the directive "to annoy the enemy and afford protection to our commerce." It engaged and defeated several British frigates, including the HMS Guerriere and the HMS Java, boosting American morale and challenging the perception of British naval invincibility.
Today, the USS Constitution's stated mission has evolved. It serves 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. The ship is berthed at Pier 1 of the former Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston and is open to visitors year-round, offering free tours and participating in ceremonies and special events.
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Constitution's involvement in the First Barbary War
The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, is a three-masted wooden-hulled heavy frigate of the United States Navy and the world's oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat. It was launched in 1797 and was one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. The USS Constitution's first duties included providing protection for American merchant shipping during the Quasi-War with France and defeating the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War.
The First Barbary War, also known as the Tripolitan War or the Barbary Coast War, was a conflict during the 1801–1815 Barbary Wars. The war extended from 10 May 1801 to 10 June 1805 and was the first major American war fought entirely outside the New World and in the Arab world. The United States fought against Ottoman Tripolitania, with the conflict arising from disputes over tribute payments in exchange for a cessation of Tripolitanian commerce raiding at sea. The Barbary states were nominally part of the Ottoman Empire but were operating independently. The USS Constitution was one of many US Navy ships that saw service during the war, under the overall command of Preble.
Throughout 1803, Preble set up and maintained a blockade of the Barbary ports while taking action to seize and harass their fleets. The Tripoli Monument, the oldest military monument in the United States, honors the American heroes of the First Barbary War. The outcome of the war is a matter of dispute among historians, but many view it as an American victory.
The Barbary Wars were a series of two wars fought by the United States, Sweden, and the Kingdom of Sicily against the Barbary states, including Tunis, Algiers, Tripoli, and Morocco of North Africa in the early 19th century. The Barbary Wars were largely a reaction to piracy by the Barbary states, which had been attacking ships since the 16th century.
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Frequently asked questions
The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, sank several pirate gunboats during the First Barbary War and defeated six Royal Navy ships during the War of 1812.
The six Royal Navy ships that the USS Constitution defeated during the War of 1812 were HMS Guerriere, Java, Pictou, Cyane, Levant, and one other unidentified ship.
The USS Constitution's mission today 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.
The USS Constitution was a 44-gun frigate, but she was outfitted with 55 guns when she defeated HMS Guerriere. During her battle with HMS Java, she was outfitted with 54 guns.
The USS Constitution is a three-masted wooden-hulled heavy frigate.
