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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. The ship has a rich history, having served in one undeclared war and two official wars. One of its notable achievements was during the War of 1812 when it captured and burned the British brigs Adeona and Lady Warren in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. On 19th August 1812, it also defeated HMS Guerriere in the first frigate-to-frigate battle of the war, earning its famed nickname Old Ironsides.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date USS Constitution Destroyed Adeona | August 1812 |
| Other Events | USS Constitution captured and burned the Lady Warren in the Gulf of St. Lawrence; recaptured the United States brig Adeline, ordering her into Boston; three days later, she captured the Guerriere of 90 guns and 280 men |
| War | War of 1812 |
| Opponent | British Royal Navy |
| USS Constitution Nicknames | Old Ironsides |
| USS Constitution Commanders | Stephen Decatur, Edward Preble, John Rodgers, Jacob Jones, Thomas MacDonough, William Bainbridge, George Dewey, Silas Talbot |
| USS Constitution Armament | 24-pounders with a maximum range of approximately 1,000 yards |
| Crew | 475 officers and men |
| Length | 204 feet |
| Beam | 43-and-a-half feet |
| Tonnage | 1,576 |
| Displacement | 2,200 tons |
| Construction | Three-masted wooden-hulled heavy frigate |
| Builder | Joshua Humphreys |
| Shipyard | Edmund Hartt's shipyard in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts |
| Cost | $302,718 |
| Launch Date | 21 October 1797 |
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What You'll Learn
USS Constitution's involvement 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 saw action in one undeclared war and two official wars.
The War of 1812 was fought between the United States and Great Britain, whom the American colonies had won independence from in 1783. The conflict arose from Britain's maritime restrictions and impressment of American seamen, which infringed on American maritime rights. The USS Constitution played a significant role in this war.
In 1812, the USS Constitution was involved in a series of naval engagements, showcasing its prowess. Despite being blockaded in Boston Harbor for six months, the ship managed to put to sea and engage with the British Royal Navy, which had a far larger fleet. The USS Constitution successfully defeated four British frigates, including two in a single day, without sustaining significant damage. This earned the ship its famous nickname, "Old Ironsides", as the round shots appeared to bounce off its 22-inch-thick hull. The ship's success forced the British Royal Navy to abandon their practice of one-on-one encounters with American frigates.
In July 1812, the USS Constitution outmaneuvered a British squadron of five ships off New York. During this encounter, the USS Constitution demonstrated its superior speed and agility by escaping pursuit. In August, the ship captured and burned two British brigs, the ADEONA and LADY WARREN, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This decisive action demonstrated the USS Constitution's ability to project American firepower and protect American interests.
The USS Constitution's involvement in the War of 1812 left a lasting legacy. Its victories against the British Royal Navy boosted American morale and established the ship as a symbol of American resilience and naval prowess. The ship continued its service well into the 19th and 20th centuries, serving as a flagship, a training ship, and a representative of American culture abroad. Today, the USS Constitution remains a historic vessel, open to the public, and is a testament to America's early naval history.
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The ship's capture and destruction of British vessels
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 saw action in one undeclared war and two official wars. It was a powerful arm of the US military, defending the rights of American seamen and merchants.
During the Quasi-War between the French and the Americans from 1797 to 1801, the USS Constitution protected American merchants from French privateers. The ship also confronted British warships, which were searching for goods bound for the empire of Napoleon Bonaparte. The Royal Navy vessels would often stop and search American merchant ships, "pressing" American sailors into service aboard British warships.
In 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain, leading to numerous naval engagements involving the USS Constitution. Despite being laid up in dry dock and blockaded in Boston Harbor, the ship managed to defeat four frigates of the British Navy, including two on one day. Its ability to defeat enemy ships without sustaining much damage earned it the nickname "Old Ironsides". The success of the USS Constitution forced the British Royal Navy to abandon the practice of one-on-one encounters with larger U.S. frigates.
During the War of 1812, the USS Constitution captured and burned two British vessels, the brigs Adeona and Lady Warren, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In 1814, the HMS Junon and HMS Tenedos pursued the Constitution off Massachusetts but were unable to catch her. In April 1819, the Constitution captured a British merchant ship, Lord Nelson, and scuttled her after removing her cargo. A few days later, she ran down the British warships Cyane and Levant off Madeira and captured them after a gunfire exchange.
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The ship's nickname, Old Ironsides
The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, is a three-masted wooden-hulled heavy frigate of the United States Navy. The ship was launched in 1797 and is the world's oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat. The name "Constitution" was among ten names submitted to President George Washington by Secretary of War Timothy Pickering. Joshua Humphreys designed the Constitution and its sister ships to be larger and more heavily armed than standard frigates of the period. The ship'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 nickname "Old Ironsides" is derived from the ship's famed ability to withstand enemy fire without sustaining much damage. During the War of 1812, the Constitution defeated four frigates of the British Navy, including two in one day. The success of the Constitution forced the British Royal Navy to abandon the practice of one-on-one encounters between their frigates and the larger American frigates.
The origin of the nickname "Old Ironsides" can be traced to a battle between the Constitution and the British frigate Guerriere in August 1812. During the engagement, many of Guerriere's shots rebounded harmlessly off the Constitution's hull. An American sailor reportedly exclaimed, "Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!" The Constitution emerged from the battle with only slight damage, while Guerriere was left so badly damaged that it was not worth towing to port and was burned the next morning.
The victory over Guerriere and the subsequent spread of news about the Constitution's resilience led to the ship becoming known as "Old Ironsides." The nickname was popularized by Oliver Wendell Holmes' poem "Old Ironsides," published in 1830 in response to erroneous reports that the Navy intended to scrap the ship. The poem ignited public indignation and spurred efforts to save "Old Ironsides" from the scrap yard, ensuring the ship's preservation.
Today, the USS Constitution continues to be a symbol of American naval history and might, proudly bearing the nickname "Old Ironsides" that reflects its sturdy construction and resilient nature.
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The ship's restoration and recommissioning
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 saw action in one undeclared war and two official wars.
In 1812, the United States declared war on Great Britain. The War of 1812 saw numerous naval engagements, with the Constitution defeating four frigates of the British navy, including the ADEONA and LADY WARREN in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on an unspecified day in August.
After its early fighting days, the Constitution was inactive for 16 years, serving as a "museum". In 1925, Congress authorized the restoration of the ship, and a campaign was launched to raise funds through public donations. Schoolchildren contributed pennies to support the campaign. In July 1931, the frigate was recommissioned in Boston with a 21-gun salute. The ship then visited 90 ports along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts, with 4,614,762 people coming aboard during the tour.
The Constitution returned to Boston in 1934 and was moored at a pier accessible to visitors. In 1940, it was recommissioned at the request of President Franklin Roosevelt. In 1941, the ship began serving as a brig for officers awaiting court-martial. After World War II, the Constitution remained at its berth in the Boston Navy Yard, open to the public free of charge.
The ship underwent further restoration in 2015, with the Department of the Navy providing $12-15 million for the project. The restoration focused on restoring the copper sheets on the hull and replacing deck boards. The ship was returned to the water in July 2017, and restoration work continued even after it was refloated.
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USS Constitution's early fighting days
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, one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794.
Its early fighting days began in 1799, when Captain Silas Talbot commanded the first successful attempt at "underway replenishment." Talbot kept the ship at sea for 347 days out of 366 by trans-shipping supplies from a store ship without landing in port. This was a remarkable feat for the U.S. Navy at the time.
In 1801, the North African state of Tripoli declared war on the United States, and in 1803, the Constitution, under Commodore Edward Preble, sailed to the Mediterranean Sea. In October of that year, the USS Philadelphia ran aground in Tripoli Harbor and was captured along with its crew. Preble planned to rescue the crew and remove the frigate from the Tripolitans. On February 16, 1804, Lieutenant Stephen Decatur led a daring night raid to achieve this.
The high point in the Constitution's early fighting days came with the siege of Tripoli. On four occasions in August 1804, she led bombardments on towns, harbors, and batteries of the Moorish coast, capturing three enemy gunboats and two Greek ships during the blockade. Peace with the Barbary state was made on her decks on June 2, 1805, when the Bey of Tripoli came aboard to sign the pact ending hostilities.
The Constitution continued to play a crucial role in the War of 1812 against the British Royal Navy. In July 1812, she outmaneuvered a British squadron of five ships off New York, and in August, she captured and burned the British brigs Adeona and Lady Warren in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. She also recaptured the United States brig Adeline and captured the Guerriere, a British warship with 90 guns and 280 men.
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Frequently asked questions
The USS Constitution destroyed the Adeona in August 1812.
The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, is a three-masted wooden-hulled heavy frigate of the United States Navy.
The USS Constitution captured and burned the British brig Adeona in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
During the War of 1812, the USS Constitution set sail to meet and return the fire of the imposing array of British Royal Navy ships. In July 1812, she outmaneuvered a British squadron of five ships off New York.
