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, having first launched in 1797. The name Old Ironsides was earned during a battle against the HMS Guerriere in the War of 1812, when several cannonballs hit the USS Constitution and bounced off its sides. The ship's officers and the press began using the nickname, which has stuck ever since. The USS Constitution is not the only ship to bear this name, with several passenger ships called Constitution operating between Europe and the United States in the 1800s, and another ship by the same name built after World War II.
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What You'll Learn
USS Constitution's construction
The USS Constitution, also known as "Old Ironsides," is a wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy, named by President George Washington after the Constitution of the United States of America. The ship is the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat. The Constitution earned its nickname during the War of 1812 when it was said that British cannonballs bounced off its thick wooden sides as if they were made of iron.
The construction of the USS Constitution began in 1794 in Boston, Massachusetts, at Edmund Hartt's shipyard. The ship was one of six frigates authorized by the Naval Act of 1794, passed by the United States Congress to provide the emerging nation with a standing navy to protect its merchant fleets in response to threats from French privateers. The Constitution was designed by Joshua Humphreys, a Philadelphia designer, and shipbuilder, who contributed many innovative features to the ship's design, including a diagonal ribbing scheme and a unique hull shape. The diagonal ribbing gave the ship greater strength and flexibility, allowing it to withstand heavy cannon fire, while the hull shape, with a deceptively shallow draft, gave the ship increased maneuverability.
The construction of the ship began with the keel laying on November 1, 1794, and progressed with the framing and planking of the hull. The ship's frame was constructed primarily from white and red oak, with live oak used for the critical diagonal braces and the hull's outer planking. Live oak was chosen for its strength and resistance to rot, and the Constitution's hull was sheathed in copper to further protect it from shipworms and other marine pests. The ship's three masts were made from durable longleaf pine, sourced from the southern states.
The Constitution was launched on October 21, 1797, and underwent fitting-out for the next several months, receiving its rigging, sails, and armaments. The ship was armed with 44 guns, a mix of 24-pounder and 32-pounder long guns, along with 18-pounder and 12-pounder guns on the upper decks. The ship's complement was typically around 450 crew members, including officers, sailors, and Marines.
The USS Constitution's construction and design played a significant role in its success as a warship. The innovative use of diagonal ribbing and durable materials gave the ship a longevity and resilience that few other ships of its time could match. Its construction was a testament to the emerging nation's shipbuilding capabilities and set a standard for naval architecture that influenced frigate design well into the 19th century.
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The ship's commissioning and naming
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 name "Constitution" was among ten names submitted to President George Washington by Secretary of War Timothy Pickering in March or May 1797 for the six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. Joshua Humphreys designed the Constitution and her sister ships to be larger and more heavily armed than standard frigates of the period, serving as the young Navy's capital ships.
The USS Constitution was built at Edmund Hartt's shipyard in the North End of Boston, Massachusetts. Her keel was laid on November 1, 1794, under the supervision of Captain Samuel Nicholson, master shipwright Colonel George Claghorn, and foreman Prince Athearn of Martha's Vineyard Athearns. The hull of the USS Constitution was built 21 inches thick, with a length between perpendiculars of 175 feet and an overall length of 204 feet. The ship's construction required a significant amount of wood, with primary materials consisting of pine and oak, including southern live oak sourced from Gascoigne Bluff and milled near St. Simons Island, Georgia. Unfortunately, enslaved workers were used to harvest the oak used for the ship's construction.
The USS Constitution was launched in 1797 and was the third frigate constructed under the Naval Act of 1794. Her 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 Barbary pirates, notably from Algiers, had been seizing American merchant vessels in the Mediterranean Sea since 1785, and by 1793, 11 American ships had been captured.
Over the years, the USS Constitution experienced deterioration and items began to disappear as souvenir hunters targeted portable objects. However, she continued to serve in various capacities. In 1940, at the request of President Franklin Roosevelt, the USS Constitution was recommissioned along with the USS Constellation. In early 1941, she was assigned the hull classification symbol IX-21 and served as a brig for officers awaiting court-martial. After World War II, the USS Constitution remained in the Boston Navy Yard, open to the public free of charge. She was maintained by a crew of about 30 sailors who also provided guided tours to visitors.
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The nickname 'Old Ironsides'
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 first launched in 1797. The ship was built at Edmund Hartt's shipyard in Boston, Massachusetts, and was one of six original frigates authorised for construction by the Naval Act of 1794.
The USS Constitution earned the nickname Old Ironsides during a battle against the HMS Guerriere in the War of 1812. During the battle, several cannonballs hit the USS Constitution and bounced off its sides. The crew noticed this and declared that the sides were made of iron. The ship's officers and the press started using the nickname, and it stuck. The victory was significant as it took place at a time when the British were the dominant naval power in the world, and the United States Navy was new and ill-equipped. The Constitution's ability to withstand the Guerriere's cannonballs cemented its status as an important historical vessel and demonstrated the capabilities of the US Navy.
The nickname Old Ironsides also inspired the name of another ship, the New Ironsides, an ironclad launched in 1862 as part of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. Unfortunately, the New Ironsides had a short naval career and was destroyed by fire in 1865.
The USS Constitution remains a fully commissioned Navy ship to this day and makes trips into Boston Harbour each year, including on the 4th of July for a tradition of turning the ship around to ensure equal exposure to the elements while docked. The ship is now docked at Charlestown Navy Yard in Massachusetts and is open to the public for free guided tours.
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The ship's crew
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 first commissioned in 1794 and launched in 1797. It was built at Hartt's shipyard in Boston, Massachusetts, and its copper bolts and fittings were forged by Paul Revere. The ship's hull was constructed using triple layers of dense pine and oak, giving it its iron-like strength.
When the USS Constitution set sail from Boston during the War of 1812, it carried a crew of more than 480 officers, sailors, and Marines. The average age of the crew was 26 years old, but some sailors were as young as 9, while others were as old as 52. The crew was mostly made up of men from Massachusetts, but there were also crew members from all over the United States, Great Britain, and Western Europe. Notably, 7 to 14 percent of the crew were free men of colour, who earned the same wages as their white counterparts, despite the prevalence of slavery at the time.
The crew of the USS Constitution were highly skilled sailors, and the ship remained undefeated during the War of 1812. Relatively few crew members died or were wounded in battle, and those who survived returned home with pockets full of prize money.
Today, the USS Constitution maintains a crew of 75 enlisted sailors and three commissioned officers, all of whom are active-duty members of the U.S. Navy. An assignment to the Constitution is considered a mark of pride and distinction. The ship still sails into Boston Harbour each year on the 4th of July for a turnaround cruise to ensure equal weather exposure on both sides of the ship.
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The ship's maintenance and upkeep
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.
- Early Maintenance: The USS Constitution was built using pine and oak, including southern live oak sourced from Georgia. Regular maintenance was required to maintain the ship's integrity during its active service, which included protecting American merchant shipping and combating piracy.
- Overhaul and Decommissioning: By 1881, the ship underwent an overhaul in 1876 that was deemed to be of poor quality, and she was deemed unfit for service. Due to a lack of funds, the USS Constitution was decommissioned and used as a receiving ship in the Portsmouth Navy Yard. Minimal maintenance was performed to keep her afloat.
- Restoration Efforts: In 1906-1907, the USS Constitution underwent its first significant restoration project. This involved recreating an earlier era of the ship's history, including a partial sailing rig, replica guns, and an open waist at the spar deck level.
- Dry Dock Restoration: Funds were approved in 1972 for another extensive restoration, and the ship entered dry dock from 1973 to 1974. During this period, large quantities of red oak, added in the 1950s, were removed and replaced due to rot. The goal was to restore the ship to its 1812 configuration.
- Ongoing Maintenance and Upkeep: The Naval History and Heritage Command Detachment Boston is responsible for the ongoing maintenance, repair, and restoration of the USS Constitution. They aim to maintain the ship as close as possible to its 1812 configuration. This includes regular maintenance and the replacement of key components, such as the jibboom, which was replaced with laminated Douglas fir in 2017.
- Turnaround Cruises: The USS Constitution typically performs a turnaround cruise each year, where it is towed into Boston Harbor to perform demonstrations, including gun drills. This tradition ensures that the ship weathers evenly, as it spends equal time sailing in different directions.
- Public Access and Education: The USS Constitution is open to the public, offering guided tours and participating in events like Operation Sail, leading a parade of tall ships. The privately run USS Constitution Museum also plays a vital role in educating visitors about the ship's history and ongoing preservation efforts.
The maintenance and upkeep of the USS Constitution have been a collaborative effort involving the United States Navy, dedicated individuals, and organizations like the USS Constitution Museum. These efforts have ensured the ship's longevity and its place in history as one of the oldest naval warships still afloat.
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Frequently asked questions
Old Ironsides.
During a battle with the HMS Guerriere, the USS Constitution's sides appeared to be made of iron as cannonballs bounced off.
Yes, there were several other ships named Constitution. During the 1800s, there were at least three passenger ships named Constitution that operated between Europe and the United States. Another ship with the same name was built after World War II.
Yes, a ship named Constitution sailed from England to Australia in 1851 with 100 passengers on board. Another ship, SS Constitution, was built by American Export Lines and offered a luxurious travel experience between New York and Naples, Italy, with a stop in Southern France.
The USS Constitution is still a fully-commissioned Navy ship and makes occasional trips into Boston Harbor. Its current mission is to educate the public about the ship and the Navy's history.
