Isabella Carter
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. The USS Constitution was authorized by Congress in 1794, built in 1797, and launched in 1798. It was first used to protect American merchant shipping during the Quasi-War with France and to defeat the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War. The Barbary states of the Ottoman Empire ran state-backed piracy, robbing and enslaving US trade ships and demanding tribute. The USS Constitution sailed to the Mediterranean Sea in 1803 to protect American merchants from the Barbary Coast of North Africa, with the highlight of her military action being the bombardment of Tripoli with the rest of the US fleet in late summer 1804.
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What You'll Learn
USS Constitution's role 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 First Barbary War (1801–1805), also known as the Tripolitan War and the Barbary Coast War, was a conflict during the 1801–1815 Barbary Wars, in which the United States fought against Ottoman Tripolitania. Tripolitania had declared war on the United States over disputes regarding tribute payments in exchange for a cessation of Tripolitanian commerce raiding at sea.
The Barbary States were a collection of North African states, many of which practiced state-supported piracy to exact tribute from weaker Atlantic powers. The United States had been paying tribute to the Barbary States during the Quasi-War to ensure that American merchant ships were not harassed and seized. However, President Thomas Jefferson refused to pay this tribute, and in February 1802, Congress authorized him to send the Navy to Tripoli. The first two naval squadrons sent to blockade the harbour of Tripoli proved largely ineffective.
In September 1803, Commodore Edward Preble arrived in Tripoli on board the USS Constitution and began reshaping the conflict. Throughout 1803, Preble maintained a blockade of the Barbary ports while taking action to seize and harass their fleets. The USS Constitution, under the overall command of Preble, saw service during the war. In 1804, Constitution led Preble's Squadron off Tripoli. Later that year, the USS Constitution joined the Enterprise to capture the Tripolitan ketch Mastico. The ketch was refitted and renamed Intrepid, and it was provided to Enterprise's commanding officer, Lieutenant Stephen Decatur, Jr. Decatur and his crew carried out a daring mission to burn the frigate Philadelphia, which had been captured by the Tripolitans after running aground in the harbour of Tripoli.
In the spring of 1805, Army Captain William Eaton led the conflict's most daring raid. Eaton, the former consul of Tunis, established an alliance between the United States and former Bashaw of Tripoli Hamet Karamanli, who had been deposed by his brother Yusuf Karamanli. Eaton and Hamet Karamanli marched an army of 400 Arab and Greek mercenaries across the Libyan desert and easily captured the city of Derna with the help of three American ships under the command of Master Commandant Isaac Hull.
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Fighting French privateers in the Quasi-War
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 and saw action in one undeclared war and two official wars.
The Quasi-War with France was an undeclared war fought almost entirely at sea, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States. It lasted from 1798 to 1801, though some sources state it ended in 1800. The conflict was an offshoot of the ongoing wars between Great Britain and France and centred on American trading rights as a neutral nation. The Quasi-War was the first seaborne conflict for the newly established US Navy, which had been authorized by Congress in 1794.
French privateers, operating from French and Spanish bases in the Caribbean, particularly Guadeloupe, attacked passing ships before escaping back into port. The US Navy deployed similarly-sized vessels from the Revenue Cutter Service to counter these tactics. The USS Constitution was one of the first Navy ships ordered to patrol for armed French ships and to free any captured American ships.
The USS Constitution recaptured the American sloop Neutrality from France in March 1799. A few days later, it captured the French ship Carteret. In January 1800, an American merchant convoy escorted by the USS Experiment fought off an attack by 14 French privateer barges in the Gulf of Gonâve. The USS Constitution also sailed to the Mediterranean Sea after peace was arranged with the French, to protect American merchants from the powers of the Barbary Coast of North Africa.
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Protecting American merchants in the Mediterranean
The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, was launched in 1797 and is the world's oldest naval warship still afloat. 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, most notably from Algiers, began seizing American merchant vessels in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1793 alone, 11 American ships were captured, and their crews and stores were held for ransom. This led to proposals for warships to protect American shipping, resulting in the Naval Act of 1794, which provided funds to construct six frigates.
In 1801, Yusuf Karamanli of Tripoli demanded an immediate payment of $250,000 (equivalent to $4,724,500 today) from the United States. In response, Thomas Jefferson sent a squadron of frigates to protect American merchant ships in the Mediterranean and pursue peace with the Barbary States. The USS Constitution was part of this squadron, serving as its flagship under the command of Captain Edward Preble. The ship first sailed to the Mediterranean in 1803 and remained there for four years. During this conflict, the highlight of its military action was the bombardment of Tripoli with the rest of the U.S. fleet in late summer 1804.
After the War of 1812, the USS Constitution continued its service, including in the Mediterranean. It underwent extensive repairs to prepare for this new duty, including hull planking, framing, decks, beams, and interior carpentry. As the Mediterranean Squadron flagship, it patrolled the Mediterranean, protecting vital trade routes and American diplomatic interests. During Greece's struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire, the USS Constitution's strategic presence as part of the Mediterranean Squadron prevented the eruption of a broader Mediterranean conflict.
In 1837, Midshipman Melanchthon B. Woolsey presented a watercolour and gouache painting of the American squadron at Alexandria, Egypt, to Commodore Jesse Duncan Elliott. The USS Constitution lies at anchor in the centre of the painting, surrounded by other ships. Another watercolour from the same year depicts the ship moored at Port Mahon in Minorca.
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The USS Constitution's mission as flagship of the African Squadron
The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, is a three-masted wooden-hulled heavy frigate of the United States Navy. It was launched in 1797 and is the world's oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat.
In 1853, the USS Constitution became the flagship of the African Squadron under the command of Commodore Isaac Mayo. The African Squadron was tasked with stopping and seizing ships suspected of slave trading. The importation of slaves into the United States had been banned by Congress as early as 1807, and in 1819, the Navy was authorized to seize American ships involved in the trade. In 1820, the slave trade was declared piracy, and the United States and Great Britain agreed to patrol the coast of Africa for suspected slavers.
The USS Constitution's tour in the African Squadron lasted from 1853 to 1855. During this time, the ship intercepted and seized the New York schooner H.N. Gambrill, which was suspected of being involved in the slave trade. This would be the last capture of the ship's long career.
The African Squadron faced challenges due to the vast length of the African coastline, making patrolling difficult. Between 1844 and 1861, only 36 suspected slave ships were intercepted by the squadron. The inefficiency of the squadron in capturing slave traders has been attributed to the adoption of steamships, which made movement along the coastline faster and more reliable.
During its service in the African Squadron, the USS Constitution had a diverse crew that included nearly 100 Kru mariners, who were free Black West Africans contracted to work on board American and European ships visiting West Africa. The presence of the Kru mariners on the USS Constitution played a crucial role in identifying and intercepting slave ships, as they had knowledge of the slave trade and its participants.
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The power of the US government to authorise piracy against enemies
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 saw action in one undeclared war and two official wars. One of its first duties was to provide protection for American merchant shipping during the Quasi-War with France and to defeat the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War. The Barbary powers were subdued after the attack on Tripoli in 1804.
In 1819, the Navy was authorized to seize American ships involved in the slave trade, and in 1820, the slave trade was declared piracy. The USS Constitution was sent to be the flagship of the African Squadron in 1853, tasked with stopping and seizing any suspected slave traders. The seizure of the H.N. Gambrill was the first and last capture of its kind for the Constitution.
Pirates have long been considered "enemies of mankind", and under customary international law, as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention, every nation has jurisdiction to prosecute suspected pirates for the crime of piracy, regardless of any connection between the State and the suspected pirate, the vessel, or the victims. The United States Government has a Counter Piracy and Maritime Security Action Plan in place to reduce the vulnerability of the maritime domain to piracy and related maritime crime, prevent pirate attacks, interrupt and terminate acts of piracy, and ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable.
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Frequently asked questions
The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, was launched in 1797 to protect American merchant shipping during the Quasi-War with France and to defeat the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War.
The Quasi-War was an undeclared conflict between the French and the Americans that lasted from 1797 to 1801 in the Atlantic and the West Indies. The French sought to capture American ships, while the U.S. Navy, including the USS Constitution, protected American merchants and hunted down French privateers.
The Barbary Wars were sparked by the Barbary states of the Ottoman Empire, which ran state-backed piracy, robbing and enslaving American trade ships. The USS Constitution sailed to the Mediterranean Sea in 1803 to protect American merchants from the Barbary powers of North Africa. The highlight of her military action in that conflict was the bombardment of Tripoli with the rest of the U.S. fleet in late summer 1804.
After the War of 1812, the USS Constitution continued to serve in various tasks, including as the flagship of the African Squadron in 1853. The African Squadron was tasked with stopping and seizing suspected slave traders. The seizure of the H.N. Gambrill was the first and last capture of its kind for the USS Constitution.
