Jonah Patel
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. Joshua Humphreys, an American shipbuilder and naval architect, was the principal architect of the USS Constitution. He was commissioned in 1794 to design six frigates for the newly formed U.S. Navy, with the aim of creating ships that were longer, broader, and lower in the water, with greater speed, maneuverability, and firepower than the European navies of the time.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Joshua Humphreys |
| Profession | American shipbuilder and naval architect |
| Birth Date | 17 June 1751 |
| Birth Place | Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Death Date | 12 January 1838 |
| Death Place | Haverford, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Known For | Designing the USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides |
| Achievements | Became the principal architect of the US Navy's original six frigates, including the USS Constitution; his designs aimed for speed, maneuverability, and greater firepower than European navies of the time |
| Design Features | Longer and broader than usual, lower in the water, with a hybrid hull design incorporating French and British naval architecture; included "diagonal riders" to increase the stiffness of the wooden hull |
| Construction Materials | Pine and oak, including southern live oak |
| Construction Location | Edmund Hartt's shipyard in Boston, Massachusetts |
| Launch Date | 21 October 1797 |
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What You'll Learn
Joshua Humphreys, principal architect
Joshua Humphreys, born on June 17, 1751, in Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, was an American shipbuilder and naval architect. He was commissioned in 1794 to design six frigates for the newly formed US Navy, thus becoming the first American naval construction contractor and the principal architect of the USS Constitution.
Humphreys aimed to design ships that were longer and broader than usual, lower in the water, and able to match the speed of any fighting ship. His frigates were more stable than other ships of their time and could carry, with better manoeuvrability, as many guns on one deck as others did on two. To achieve this, he created a hybrid hull design that incorporated French shipbuilding techniques for speed and inshore manoeuvrability, combined with the robust structural standards of British naval architects.
Humphreys' unique design also included a series of 12 diagonal stressed members (six on each side), known as "diagonal riders," which backed up the hull and increased the overall stiffness of the wooden walls of the ship. This innovation allowed his frigates to withstand the naval superiority of hostile powers and pirates, making them ideal for protecting American merchant shipping.
The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, was launched on October 21, 1797, in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the world's oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat. Humphreys' design ensured that the ship had greater speed, manoeuvrability, and firepower than the European navies of the time, making it a symbol of America's first generation of warships.
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USS Constitution's design and construction
Joshua Humphreys was the principal architect of the USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides. It was one of six frigates commissioned by President George Washington in 1794 to protect American merchant vessels from French privateers during the Quasi-War with France and to defeat the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War.
Humphreys designed the frigates to be larger, faster, more heavily armed, and more manoeuvrable than the standard frigates of the period. He realized that the fledgling United States could not match the European states in the size of their navies, so he designed his frigates to overpower any other frigate while escaping from a ship of the line. The USS Constitution was constructed between 1794 and 1797 at Edmund Hartt's shipyard in Boston, Massachusetts, under the supervision of Captain Samuel Nicholson, master shipwright Colonel George Claghorn, and Foreman Prince Athearn of the Martha's Vineyard Athearns.
The USS Constitution's hull was built 21 inches (530 mm) thick, with a length between perpendiculars of 175 feet (53 m) and an overall length of 204 feet (62 m). Her width was 43 feet 6 inches (13.26 m). The primary materials used in her construction were pine and oak, including southern live oak cut from Gascoigne Bluff and milled near St. Simons Island, Georgia. The hull consisted of three layers, with the outer and inner horizontal layers made of white oak and the center vertical layer made of live oak. This made the USS Constitution exceptionally strong and durable, earning her the nickname "Old Ironsides."
Over the years, the USS Constitution has undergone numerous refittings and restorations to preserve her. In 1972, funds were approved for her restoration, and she entered dry dock in 1973. During this period, large quantities of red oak, which had been added in the 1950s as an experiment, were removed and replaced as they had mostly rotted away. In 1992, she underwent her most comprehensive structural restoration, during which the Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston reviewed Humphreys' original plans to address issues with the hull. In 2015, naval architects began using computer-aided design (CAD) software to create new plans for her restoration, allowing for precise measurements, design changes, and project documentation.
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The six original frigates
Joshua Humphreys is credited as the principal architect of the USS Constitution and the five other original frigates of the US Navy. These frigates were the first ships of the US Navy, and were authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. The six frigates were the USS Constitution, USS Chesapeake, USS Constellation, USS President, USS United States, and USS Congress.
The frigates were designed to be larger, faster, and more heavily armed than the conventional frigates of their day, and were meant to be powerful enough to engage any frigates of the French or British navies. They were also designed to be fast enough to evade larger ships of the line. Humphreys' design aimed for speed, manoeuvrability, and greater firepower than the European navies of the time.
The USS Constitution, nicknamed "Old Ironsides", is the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel still in service. It was launched in 1797 and was the third of the six frigates to be constructed. It was built at Edmund Hartt's shipyard in Boston, Massachusetts, and its hull was built 21 inches thick. Its length between perpendiculars was 175 feet, with a 204-foot overall length and a width of 43 feet and 6 inches.
The other five frigates were also constructed in different port towns along the US Atlantic coast. The USS United States was built in Philadelphia, the USS Constellation in Baltimore, the USS Congress in New Hampshire, the USS President in New York, and the USS Chesapeake in Gosport, Virginia. The USS United States, Constellation, and Constitution were launched in 1797, while the Congress and Chesapeake were launched in 1799 and 1800, respectively.
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The need for a navy
The principal architect of the USS Constitution was Joshua Humphreys. Humphreys convinced the U.S. Congress in 1794 that the country's new navy should consist of large, heavily built and armed frigates. His design aimed for speed, manoeuvrability, and greater firepower than the European navies of the time.
In the 1790s, as the new United States merchant fleet sailed far and wide to places such as the Mediterranean Sea, a navy became necessary to protect these American vessels. The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, was one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. The USS Constitution was designed to be the young Navy's capital ship, and so she and her sister ships were larger and more heavily armed and built than standard frigates of the period.
The USS Constitution was built to protect American merchant shipping during the Quasi-War with France and to defeat the Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War. The need for a navy was further emphasised by the deterioration of the USS Constitution over the years, with souvenir hunters picking away at the more portable objects. The USS Constitution was recommissioned in 1940 at the request of President Franklin Roosevelt, and she was assigned a hull classification symbol and a crew of about 30 sailors to perform maintenance and provide guided tours to visitors.
The USS Constitution remains an important symbol of American naval history and has undergone several restorations to preserve her. The ship led the parade of tall ships up Boston Harbor for Operation Sail in 1975, firing her guns at one-minute intervals for the first time in approximately 100 years. Today, the USS Constitution Museum showcases the story of the ship's creation and service, including watercolour and ink sketches by English illustrator Stephen Biesty.
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The restoration process
The USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, is the world's oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat. She was launched in 1797 and was one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794. Joshua Humphreys, one of America's finest naval architects, was the principal architect of the USS Constitution. Humphreys' design aimed for speed, manoeuvrability, and greater firepower than the European navies of the time.
The USS Constitution has undergone several restoration and repair projects over the years to keep her sailing. Here is a detailed overview of the restoration process:
1833 Restoration:
The USS Constitution underwent its first-ever dry docking at the Charlestown Navy Yard in 1833. During this period, extensive hull and structural replacement work was carried out.
1843-1844 Restoration:
Before her around-the-world cruise, the USS Constitution was dry-docked at the Norfolk Navy Yard. Several sheets of copper along the keel were replaced, and her overall condition was assessed as good.
1847-1849 Restoration:
Longitudinal plans were drawn up by Samuel Pook during this period, marking the transition of the USS Constitution from an active warship to a sailing training vessel for the United States Naval Academy.
1927-1931 Restoration:
During this restoration, approximately 85% of the ship was replaced, including both interior and exterior hull plans, standing and running rigging, and the ship's sails. All the guns aboard the USS Constitution have been replicas since this restoration, with most of them cast in 1930.
1973-1976 Restoration:
The USS Constitution underwent repairs and restoration at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. A modern 40 mm saluting gun was installed during this period to restore the ship's ability to fire ceremonial salutes.
1992-1995 Restoration:
This was the second most important 20th-century restoration. The project aimed to strengthen the ship by recreating and installing structural elements that had been lost over time. The spar deck was replaced, and the ship's rig was updated based on historical research.
2015-2017 Restoration:
The USS Constitution entered dry dock once again in 2015 for a scheduled restoration. Naval architects used computer-aided design (CAD) software to create new plans for specific sections of the ship, building upon the restoration plans from the 1927-1931 restoration.
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Frequently asked questions
Joshua Humphreys.
Joshua Humphreys was commissioned in 1794 to design six frigates for the newly formed U.S. Navy. He was the principal architect of the U.S. Navy's original six frigates, including the USS Constitution.
Humphreys' design called for ships that were longer, broader, and lower in the water than usual, with greater speed, stability, and manoeuvrability. His frigates were designed to protect American commerce and could carry more guns on one deck than other ships could on two.
The primary materials used in the construction of the USS Constitution were pine and oak, including southern live oak.
Joshua Humphreys was assisted by skilled naval architect Josiah Fox and draftsman William Doughty.
