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HISTORY
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 United States
Constitution. She is the world's oldest commissioned naval
vessel still afloat. She was launched in 1797, one of six
original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act
of 1794 and the third constructed. Joshua Humphreys designed the
frigates to be the young Navy's capital ships, and so
Constitution and her sisters were larger and more heavily armed
and built than standard frigates of the period. She was built at
Edmund Hartt's shipyard in the North End of Boston,
Massachusetts. Her 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.
Constitution is most noted for her actions during the War of
1812 against the United Kingdom, when she captured numerous
merchant ships and defeated five British warships: HMS Guerriere,
Java, Pictou, Cyane, and Levant. The battle with Guerriere
earned her the nickname "Old Ironsides" and public adoration
that has repeatedly saved her from scrapping. She continued to
serve as flagship in the Mediterranean and African squadrons,
and she circled the world in the 1840s. During the American
Civil War, she served as a training ship for the United States
Naval Academy. She carried American artwork and industrial
displays to the Paris Exposition of 1878.
Constitution was retired from active service in 1881 and served
as a receiving ship until being designated a museum ship in
1907. In 1934, she completed a three-year, 90-port tour of the
nation. She sailed under her own power for her 200th birthday in
1997, and again in August 2012 to commemorate the 200th
anniversary of her victory over Guerriere.
Constitution's stated mission today is to promote understanding
of the Navy's role in war and peace through educational
outreach, historical demonstration, and active participation in
public events as part of the Naval History & Heritage Command.
As a fully commissioned Navy ship, her crew of 60 officers and
sailors participate in ceremonies, educational programs, and
special events while keeping her open to visitors year round and
providing free tours. The officers and crew are all active-duty
Navy personnel, and the assignment is considered to be special
duty. She is usually berthed at Pier 1 of the former Charlestown
Navy Yard at one end of Boston's Freedom Trail.
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