USS Constitution

USS Constitution

USS Constitution, also called Old Ironsides, is a three-masted wooden ship in the United States Navy. She is the world's oldest warship still floating. Launched in 1797, she was one of six original frigates built under the Naval Act of 1794. Designed by Joshua Humphreys, she was bigger and had more guns than most ships of her time.

During the War of 1812, Constitution became famous for capturing several British ships, including HMS Guerriere. This earned her the nickname "Old Ironsides". Her actions helped protect American ships and made her very popular.

After many years of service, Constitution was retired in 1881 but became a museum ship in 1907. Today, she teaches people about Navy history. With a crew of Navy workers, she offers free tours and joins special events. Visitors can see her at Pier 1 of the former Charlestown Navy Yard, near Boston's Freedom Trail.

Construction

Main article: Original six frigates of the United States Navy

In the late 1700s, sailors from places like Algiers sometimes captured American ships and held the crew for ransom. To help protect American ships, the United States passed a law in 1794 to build six big sailing warships called frigates.

The USS Constitution was built using a special design by Joshua Humphreys. It was made very strong with thick wood and heavy guns. The ship’s construction began in 1794 in Boston, Massachusetts, and used wood from Georgia. Building stopped for a short time when peace was announced, but work continued and the ship was finally launched in October 1797.

Armament

See also: Naval artillery in the Age of Sail

The USS Constitution was known as a 44-gun frigate, but it often carried more than 50 guns. Back then, ships didn’t have fixed guns like today. Captains could change the guns depending on what they needed. During different times, the ship carried many types of guns, such as 24-pounders, 12-pounders, and 32-pounder carronades.

During the War of 1812, the ship usually had 30 long 24-pounder cannons on its main deck and 22 short 32-pounder carronades on the upper deck. Today, all the guns on the USS Constitution are replicas, made to look like the original ones.

Quasi-War

Main article: Quasi-War

President John Adams sent Navy ships to protect American ships from French ships. The USS Constitution wasn’t ready to sail at first and needed to borrow cannons. It finally sailed on July 22, 1798, to patrol along the Eastern seaboard.

During its patrols, Constitution caught a French ship named Niger near Charleston, South Carolina. The ship’s crew was taken prisoner, and Niger was brought to Norfolk, Virginia. Later, Constitution helped protect merchant ships and even raced an English ship, which Constitution won. The ship also recaptured some American vessels that the French had taken. After many patrols and repairs, Constitution returned to Boston.

Captain Silas Talbot then took command and led Constitution on more patrols in the West Indies to stop French ships from attacking American trade. Although Constitution captured some ships, sometimes they had to return them due to rules. The ship continued its patrols until peace was near between the United States and France. Eventually, Constitution returned to Boston for repairs and updates.

First Barbary War

See also: First Barbary War

The United States paid money to the Barbary States to keep American ships safe. In 1801, the leader of Tripoli wanted more money. President Thomas Jefferson sent ships to protect American ships and try to make peace.

The first group of ships did not do well, so a new leader took command. The ship USS Constitution joined the group and helped protect American ships. There were many exciting moments. The ships worked to free American ships held by the leader of Tripoli and helped make a peace treaty.

War of 1812

See also: War of 1812

The Constitution was brought back into service in December with Captain John Rodgers in charge, who oversaw major repairs. The ship was repaired for almost $100,000. Isaac Hull took command in June 1810 and quickly saw that the ship needed cleaning. Hull left for France on 5 August 1811, taking the new Ambassador Joel Barlow and his family with him. They arrived on 1 September. Hull stayed near France and the Netherlands through the winter, regularly practicing sailing and gun drills to keep the crew ready for possible fighting with the British. War was declared on 18 June, and Hull set sail on 12 July.

Hull set sail on 12 July, trying to join five ships of a squadron under Rodgers in President. He saw five ships off Egg Harbor, New Jersey, on 17 July and first thought they were Rodgers' ships, but the next morning, the lookouts saw that they were a British squadron from Halifax. Constitution was stuck and could not escape the five British ships, but Hull followed a suggestion from his First Lieutenant Charles Morris. The British ships copied the tactic and kept chasing them.

Constitution arrived in Boston on 27 July and stayed there only long enough to get more supplies. Hull left without orders on 2 August to avoid being trapped in port, heading northeast towards the British shipping lanes near Halifax and the Gulf of Saint Lawrence. Constitution captured three British merchant ships, which Hull burned instead of taking them back to an American port. On 16 August, he learned of a British frigate 100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) to the south and sailed to find it.

Constitution vs. Guerriere

A frigate was seen on 19 August and later identified as HMS Guerriere under Captain James Dacres. Guerriere opened fire when it was close enough to Constitution, causing little damage. After some cannon fire between the ships, Captain Hull moved Constitution into a good position within 25 yards of Guerriere. He then ordered a full broadside, which knocked down Guerriere's mizzenmast. With the ships close together, both Hull and Dacres prepared to send men to board, but the sea was too rough, and neither group could board the other ship.

At one point, the two ships turned together counter-clockwise, with Constitution continuing to fire. When the ships separated, the force of the bowsprit's extraction shocked Guerriere's rigging. Her foremast fell, bringing down the mainmast soon after. Guerriere was now unable to move, with close to a third of her crew hurt or lost, while Constitution stayed mostly unharmed. Dacres was later brought onto Constitution where he gave his sword to Hull as a sign of giving up, but Hull said he could not take the sword from a man who had fought so bravely.

Hull surprised the crew of Guerriere with his ship's stronger cannon fire and better sailing. An American sailor was reported to have shouted "Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!" and Constitution earned the nickname "Old Ironsides". The battle left Guerriere so damaged that it was not worth taking to port, and Hull ordered it to be burned the next morning, after moving the British prisoners onto Constitution. Constitution returned to Boston on 30 August, where Hull and his crew were welcomed as heroes.

Constitution vs Java

William Bainbridge, senior to Hull, took command of "Old Ironsides" on 8 September and got her ready for another mission in British shipping lanes near Brazil, sailing with Hornet on 27 October. They arrived near São Salvador on 13 December, seeing HMS Bonne Citoyenne in the harbor. Constitution sailed offshore to look for prizes, leaving Hornet to wait for Bonne Citoyenne to leave. On 29 December, she met HMS Java under Captain Henry Lambert. At the first call from Bainbridge, Java answered with a broadside that badly damaged Constitution's rigging. She was able to recover, however, and returned fire to Java. A shot from Java destroyed Constitution's steering wheel, so Bainbridge had the crew steer her by hand using the tiller for the rest of the fight. Bainbridge was wounded twice during the battle. Java's bowsprit got caught in Constitution's rigging, as in the battle with Guerriere, allowing Bainbridge to keep firing at her. Java's foremast fell, dropping her fighting top through two decks below.

Bainbridge moved away to make emergency repairs and returned to Java an hour later. She was a wreck, unable to move with a badly hurt crew, and she gave up. Bainbridge decided that Java was too damaged to keep and ordered her burned, but not before taking her steering wheel to put on Constitution. Constitution returned to São Salvador on 1 January 1813 to let go the prisoners from Java, where she met with Hornet and her two British prizes. Bainbridge ordered Constitution to sail for Boston on 5 January, being far from a friendly port and needing major repairs, leaving Hornet behind to continue waiting for Bonne Citoyenne in the hope that she would leave the harbor, though she did not. Constitution arrived in Boston on 15 February to even bigger celebrations than Hull had received a few months earlier.

Marblehead and blockade

Bainbridge decided that Constitution needed new deck planks and beams, masts, sails, rigging, as well as a new copper bottom. However, people and supplies were being sent to the Great Lakes, causing shortages that kept her in Boston with her sister ships Chesapeake, Congress, and President for most of the year. Charles Stewart took command on 18 July and worked to finish the repairs and get a new crew, finally setting sail on 31 December. She went towards the West Indies to attack British shipping and had captured five merchant ships and the 14-gun HMS Pictou by late March 1814. She also chased HMS Columbine and HMS Pique, but both ships got away after seeing that she was an American frigate.

Her mainmast broke off the coast of Bermuda on 27 March, needing quick repairs. Stewart headed for Boston, where British ships HMS Junon and Tenedos began chasing her on 3 April. Stewart had drinking water and food thrown overboard to make the ship lighter and go faster, trusting that her mainmast would hold long enough for her to reach Marblehead, Massachusetts. When Constitution arrived in the harbor, the people of Marblehead gathered to support her, setting up cannons at Fort Sewall, and the British stopped chasing her. Two weeks later, Constitution went into Boston, where she was blockaded in port until mid-December.

HMS Cyane and HMS Levant

Main article: Capture of HMS Cyane

Captain George Collier of the Royal Navy took command of the 50-gun HMS Leander and was sent to North America to deal with American frigates attacking British shipping. Meanwhile, Charles Stewart saw his chance to leave Boston Harbor and did so on the afternoon of 18 December, and Constitution again headed for Bermuda. Collier gathered a squadron consisting of Leander, Newcastle, and Acasta and set off to chase her, but he could not catch up. On 24 December, Constitution intercepted the merchant ship Lord Nelson and put a prize crew on board. Constitution had left Boston without full supplies, but Lord Nelson's stores gave the crew a Christmas dinner.

Constitution was sailing off Cape Finisterre on 8 February 1815 when Stewart learned that the Treaty of Ghent had been signed. He knew, however, that war still existed until the treaty was approved, and Constitution captured the British merchant ship Susanna on 16 February; her cargo of animal hides was worth $75,000.

On 20 February, Constitution saw the small British ships Cyane and Levant sailing together and chased them. Cyane and Levant began firing at her, but Stewart maneuvered around both of them and forced Levant to stop for repairs. He focused fire on Cyane, which soon gave up. Levant returned to fight Constitution but turned and tried to escape when she saw that Cyane had been defeated. Constitution caught up with her and, after more cannon fire, she gave up. Stewart stayed with his new prizes overnight while ordering repairs to all ships. Constitution had little damage in the battle, though it was later found that she had twelve 32-pound British cannonballs stuck in her hull, none of which had gone through. The three ships then sailed to the Cape Verde Islands and arrived at Porto Praya on 10 March.

The next morning, Collier's squadron was seen heading for the harbor, and Stewart ordered all ships to leave immediately; he had not known until then of Collier's chase. Cyane managed to escape the squadron and sail to America, where she arrived on 10 April, but Levant was caught and taken back. Collier's squadron was busy with Levant while Constitution escaped from overwhelming forces.

Constitution sailed towards Guinea and then west towards Brazil, as Stewart had learned from the capture of Susanna that HMS Inconstant was carrying gold bullion back to England, and he wanted her as a prize. Constitution stopped at Maranhão on 2 April to let go her British prisoners and get more drinking water. While there, Stewart heard from rumors that the Treaty of Ghent had been approved, and he headed for America, getting proof of peace at San Juan, Puerto Rico, on 28 April. He then sailed for New York and arrived home on 15 May to big celebrations. Constitution came out of the war without losing, though her sister ships Chesapeake and President were not as lucky, having been captured in 1813 and 1815. Constitution was moved to Boston and put in reserve in January 1816, sitting out the Second Barbary War.

Mediterranean Squadron

Charlestown Navy Yard's commandant Isaac Hull directed a refitting of Constitution to get her ready for duty with the Mediterranean Squadron in April 1820. Constitution otherwise had an uneventful tour, sailing with Ontario and Nonsuch, until crew behavior during shore leave gave Jones a reputation as a commodore who was loose with discipline. Constitution arrived in Boston on 31 May 1824, and Jones was taken from command. Thomas Macdonough took command and sailed on 29 October for the Mediterranean under the direction of John Rodgers in North Carolina. With discipline restored, Constitution resumed uneventful duty. Macdonough left his command for health reasons on 9 October 1825. Constitution stopped for repairs during December and into January 1826, until Daniel Todd Patterson took command on 21 February. By August, she had been put into Port Mahon, suffering decay of her spar deck, and she stayed there until temporary repairs were done in March 1827. Constitution returned to Boston on 4 July 1828 and was placed in reserve.

Old Ironsides

USS Constitution, also known as Old Ironsides, was built in 1797. At that time, ships were usually expected to last only 10 to 15 years. In 1830, there were plans to scrap Constitution, but a famous poem called "Old Ironsides" by Oliver Wendell Holmes helped people support saving her. After that, she began repairs and, over the years, served in many important roles.

Constitution traveled to many places, including France, the Mediterranean, the Pacific, and around the world. She helped make treaties and visit important leaders. During the Civil War, she was used as a training ship for new sailors. Even though she faced many challenges, including storms and repairs, Constitution continued to serve until she was too old and needed more care. She was then moved to museums where people could visit and learn about her history.

Museum ship

In 1900, Congress decided to restore Constitution, but didn’t give any money at first. A group called the Massachusetts Society of the United Daughters of the War of 1812 tried to raise money, but couldn’t. In 1903, the president of the Massachusetts Historical Society asked Congress to help fix up Constitution and put her back in service.

In 1905, the Secretary of the Navy suggested using Constitution as a target for practice, but a businessman from Worcester, Massachusetts wanted to buy her. The government said no, and his campaign to save her grew. People all over the country protested. This led Congress to give $100,000 for her restoration in 1906. By 1907, Constitution started serving as a museum ship where people could take tours.

On December 1, 1917, she was renamed Old Constitution so her name could be used for a new battlecruiser. The new ship was never built, and in 1925, Old Constitution got her name back.

1925 restoration and tour

In 1924, inspectors found Constitution in very bad shape. Water had to be pumped out every day to keep her from sinking, and parts of her were rotting. They decided she needed major repairs. Schools helped raise money, and people bought paintings of the ship to support the effort. After raising over $600,000, Congress gave more money to finish the work.

Work began in 1927. They found old wood in Florida that had been cut years before but never used. In 1930, Constitution came out of the dock, and about 85% of her had been replaced. She had new pipes, bathrooms, lights for visitors, and navigation tools.

In 1931, Constitution started a three-year tour of the United States with stops in 90 cities along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts. She visited places from Bar Harbor, Maine, to Bellingham, Washington. She returned to Boston in 1934.

1934 return to Boston

After the tour, Constitution went back to being a museum ship in Boston. In 1938, during a big storm, she broke free from her dock but only had minor damage.

In 1940, she was recommissioned along with another ship at President Franklin Roosevelt’s request. In 1947, the post office issued a stamp to honor her. In 1954, Congress made the Navy responsible for her care, and she had to stay in Boston. In 1960, she was named a National Historic Landmark. In 1963, she had four months of repairs.

Restoration

In 1970, inspectors found she needed repairs. In 1972, funds were approved, and she went into dry dock in 1973. They replaced rotted wood and she reopened to visitors in 1975.

Bicentennial celebrations

In 1974, preparations began for the United States Bicentennial. In 1976, a museum opened, and Constitution led a parade of tall ships in Boston Harbor. She fired her guns and gave a 21-gun salute to Queen Elizabeth II when she visited. Many people visited that year.

1992–1995 dry docking and reconstruction

In 1992, Constitution went into dry dock for inspections and repairs. They used special technology to check her wood and found hidden problems. They replaced old parts and made her stronger. The project finished in 1995.

Sailing on 200th anniversary

In 1997, Constitution sailed on her own for the first time in 116 years to celebrate her 200th anniversary. She was towed to open water, set her sails, and sailed for 40 minutes. Navy ships honored her, and she gave a 21-gun salute to the nation when she returned to Boston.

Present day

The USS Constitution, also called Old Ironsides, helps people learn about the Navy’s work in both war and peace. The ship takes part in public events and has special learning programs. About 75 Navy sailors work on the ship, and they keep it open for visitors all year. These sailors are active-duty Navy members, and their job on the Constitution is special duty.

The Constitution is docked at Pier One in the old Charlestown Navy Yard and is open to visitors all year. It is part of the Freedom Trail in Boston, between Copp's Hill Burying Ground and the Bunker Hill Monument. Nearby is the USS Constitution Museum, located in a restored shipyard building. The ship usually makes a “turnaround cruise” each year, moving into Boston Harbor for demonstrations before returning to its dock.

The Naval History and Heritage Command Detachment Boston looks after the ship’s maintenance and restoration, keeping it close to how it looked in 1812. The ship spent time in dry dock for restoration, and after repairs, it sailed again under its own power in 2012. The ship returned to the water after another restoration in 2017. In 2022, Billie J. Farrell became the first woman to command the Constitution.

Commanders

Since Constitution was launched in 1797, she has had 78 different commanders over the years.