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A History of USS Constitution
Related Resource:
Chronology
of USS Constitution's History
(This history was
extracted from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,
a nine-volume work published by the Naval
Historical Center.)
Named for the written instrument
embodying the fundamental organic law and principles of government
of the United States of America.
(Frigate: displacement: 2,200, length between perpendiculars
175'; beam 43'6"; depth (in hold) 14'3"; speed 13 knots;
complement 460; armament 28 24-pounder, 10 12-pounder.)
Constitution, one of six frigates authorized by act
of Congress, approved 27 March 1794, was designed by Joshua Humphreys,
and built at Hartt's Shipyard, Boston, Mass., under the supervision
of George Claghorn with Captain Samuel Nicholson as inspector.
She was launched on 21 October 1797 and christened by Captain
James Sever.
Into the trim frigate's construction went timbers from States
ranging from Maine to Georgia, as well as copper bolts and spikes
supplied by Paul Revere. A ship of beauty, power, and speed thus
was fashioned as a national expression of growing naval interest,
and a symbol auguring the dedication, courage, and achievement
of American fighting men and ships.
Constitution put to sea on 22 July 1798, commanded
by Captain Samuel Nicholson, the first of many illustrious commanding
officers. Following her trial runs in August, she was readied
for action in the Quasi-War with France and ordered to patrol
for French armed ships between Cape Henry and Florida. One year
later she became flagship on the Santo Domingo station, making
several captures including the 24-gun privateer Niger,
the Spender, and the letter-of marque Sandwich.
At war's end, Constitution returned to the Charleston Navy
Yard where she was placed in ordinary.
In 1803 amid growing demand for tribute and increasing seizures
by the Barbary pirates, Constitution was recommissioned
under Captain Edward Preble and sailed as flagship of the Mediterranean
Squadron on 14 August. Preble took command of the squadron and
vigorously brought the war to Tripoli, executing well-laid plans
with brilliant success. On Constitution's decks tactics
for destroying the captured frigate, Philadelphia, were
laid as well as those for blockading and assaulting the fortifications
of Tripoli. The small United States fleet on 3 and 7 August 1804
bombarded the enemy's ships and shore batteries with telling results.
Commodore Samuel Barron and later Captain John Rodgers were
next to command the squadron and Constitution, continuing
to blockade and take prizes. Naval action thus generated a favorable
climate for the negotiation of peace terms with Algiers, ending
for a time our tribute payments. After the Tunisians agreed to
similar terms in August, Constitution spent 2 years patrolling
in maintenance of the peace. She sailed for home under Captain
Hugh Campbell and arrived Boston in November 1807. Placed out
of commission, the frigate was repaired in the succeeding 2 years.
In August 1809 she was recommissioned and became flagship
of the North Atlantic Squadron, Commodore J. Rodgers, and in 1810
Isaac Hull was appointed her captain. The following year she carried
U.S. Minister, Joel Barlow, to France and returned to Washington
in March 1812 for overhaul. War with Britain impended and Constitution
was readied for action. On 20 June 1812 the declaration of war
was read to her assembled crew and on 12 July she took the sea
under Captain Hull to rejoin the squadron of Commodore J. Rodgers.
On 17 July Constitution sighted five ships in company;
supposing them to be Rodger's squadron, Hull attempted to join
up. By the following morning, however, the group was identified
as a powerful British squadron which included the frigates Guerriere
and Shannon. The wind failed, becalming within range of
the enemy who opened fire. Disaster threatened until Captain Hull
astutely towed, wetted sails, and kedged to draw the ship slowly
ahead of her pursuers. For 2 days all hands were on deck in this
desperate and successful attempt at escape, a splendid example
of resolute command, superior seamanship, and indefatigable effort.
During the war, Constitution ran the blockade at Boston
on seven occasions and made five cruises ranging from Halifax,
Nova Scotia, south to Guiana and east to Portugal. She captured,
burned, or sent in as prizes nine merchantmen and five ships of
war. Departing Boston on 2 August she sailed to the coast of Nova
Scotia, where she captured and destroyed two British trading ships.
Cruising off the Gulf of St. Lawrence on 19 August, she caught
sight of Guerriere, a fast British frigate mounting 49
guns. Guerriere opened the action, pouring out shot which
fell harmlessly into the sea or glanced ineffcetively from the
hull of Constitution whose cheering crew bestowed on her
the famous nickname "Old Ironsides," which has stirred
generations of Americans. As the ships drew abreast, Hull gave
the command to fire and successive broadsides razed Guerriere's
mizzen mast, damaging her foremast, and cut away most of her rigging.
Guerriere's bowsprit fouled the lee rigging of Constitution,
and both sides attempted to board, but the heavy seas prevented
it. As the ships separated Guerriere fired point blank
into the cabin of Constitution and set it on fire, but
the flames were quickly extinguished. Guerriere's foremast
and mainmast went by the board and she was left a helpless hulk.
The flag of Guerriere was struck in surrender and when
the Americans boarded her they found her in such a crippled condition
that they had to transfer the prisoners and burn her. It was a
dramatic victory for America and for Constitution. In this
battle of only half an hour the United States "rose to the
rank of a first-class power"; the country was fired with
fresh confidence and courage; and union among the States was greatly
strengthened.
Constitution, Commodore William Bainbridge, again stood
out from Boston on 29 December 1812 to add to her conquest the
British 38-gun frigate, Java, whom she engaged off the
coast of Brazil. Despite loss of her wheel early in the fighting,
Constitution fought well. Her superior gunnery shattered
the enemy's rigging, eventually dismasting Java, and mortally
wounding her captain. Java was so badly damaged that she, too,
had to be burned. The seemingly invincible "Old Ironsides"
returned to Boston late in February for refitting and her wounded
commander was relieved by Captain Charles Stewart.
Constitution departed on 31 December for a cruise in
the Windward Islands. On 16 February she seized and destroyed
the schooner, Pictou, and 9 days later chased the schooner,
Pique, who escaped. She also captured three small merchantmen
on this cruise, characteristically successful despite a close
pursuit by two British frigates along the coast of Massachusetts.
Constitution moored safely at Boston only to be bottled
up for nearly 9 months by the vigorous British blockade.
In December 1814 Constitution braved the forces of
the enemy, and headed southeast. She seized the merchant brig
Lord Nelson and later captured Susannah with a rich
cargo on 16 February 1815. Four days later she gave close chase
to the frigate Cyane and the sloop Levant bound
for the West Indies. Constitution opened the action firing
broadsides; as the contestants drew apart she maneuvered adroitly
between the two, fighting each separately and avoiding raking
by either. In less than an hour Cyane struck her colors
and soon thereafter Levant surrendered. Sailing in company
with her prizes, Constitution encountered a British squadron
which gave chase but was able to retake only Levant. En
route to New York, she received confirmation of the ratification
of peace terms and on 15 May arrived, confident in her success
as protector of freedom of the seas.
Ordered to Boston, she was placed in ordinary for 6 years,
undergoing extensive repair. In May 1821 she returned to commission,
serving as flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron, under Commodore
Jacob Jones, and guarding United States shipping until 1823. A
second cruise on that station lasted from 1823 through July 1828,
with a succession of commanding officers including Captain Thomas
Macdonough and Daniel Patterson.
A survey in 1830 disclosed Constitution to be unseaworthy.
Congress, considering the projected cost of repairs, relegated
her for sale or scrapping. Public sentiment, engendered partly
by the dramatization of her history in Oliver Wendell Holmes'
memorable poem, elicited instead an appropriation of money for
reconstruction which was begun in 1833 at Boston where once again
she was captained by the redoubtable Isaac Hull.
Returned to commissioned status in 1835, she served well in
the ensuing 20 years in a variety of missions. In March 1835 she
sailed to France where she embarked the U.S. Minister to France,
Edward Livingston, for return to the States. In August she entered
upon a 3-year tour as flagship of Commodore Jesse Elliott in the
Mediterranean protecting trade and maintaining good relations.
She served as flagship for the South Pacific Squadron from 1839
to 1841; and for the home station from November 1842 to February
1813. In March 1844 she began a memorable 30-month circumnavigation
of the globe while under the command of Captain John Percival.
The fall of 1848 brought a resumption of duty as flagship
of the Mediterranean Squadron, Commodore W. C. Bolton. Decommissioned
briefly in 1851 she sailed under Captain John Rudd in 1852 to
patrol the west coast of Africa in quest of slavers until June
1855.
Five years of decommissioned status followed. In August 1860
she was assigned to train midshipmen at Annapolis, and during
Civil War at Newport, R.I. Among her commanding officers in this
period are listed Lieutenant Commanders David D. Porter, and George
Dewey.
In 1871 Constitution underwent rebuilding at Philadelphia;
she was commissioned again in July 1877 to transport goods to
the Paris Exposition.
Once more she returned to duty as a training ship cruising
from the West Indies to Nova Scotia with her youthful crews. In
January 1882 she was placed out of commission and in 1884 was
towed to Portsmouth, N.H. to become a receiving ship Celebration
of her centennial year brought her to Boston in 1897 where she
was retained in decommissioned status.
A public grateful for her protective services once again rescued
her from imminent destruction in 1905 and she was thereafter partially
restored for use as a national museum. Twenty years later, complete
renovation was initiated with the financial support of numerous
patriotic organizations and school children.
On 1 December 1917, Constitution was renamed Old
Constitution to permit her original name to be assigned to
a projected battle cruiser. Given first to CC-1 (renamed Lexington
(q.v.) ) then to CC-5 (originally named Ranger (q.v.)),
the name Constitution was restored to "Old Ironsides"
on 24 July 1925, after the battle cruiser program had been canceled
under the Washington naval treaty. Constitution (CC-5)
was some 13.4 percent complete at the time of her cancellation.
On 1 July 1931, amid a 21-gun salute, Constitution
was recommissioned. The following day she sailed on a triumphant
tour of 90 United States' ports along the Atlantic, Pacific, and
Gulf coasts, where thousands of Americans saw at first hand one
of history's greatest fighting ships. On 7 May 1934 she returned
to Boston Harbor, the site of her building. Classified IX-21 on
8 January 1941, Constitution remains in commission today,
the oldest ship on the Navy List, proud and worthy representative
of the Navy's great days of fighting sail, and symbol of the courage
and patriotic service of generations of Americans at sea where
much of the Nation's destiny will always lie.
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14 February 2001