Wars and Conflicts of the U.S. NavyWars and Conflicts of the U.S. Navy
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Introduction
The
USS Constitution has now graced the United States with
her service for more than two hundred years. Authorized by Congress
in 1794, built in 1797, and launched in 1798, Constitution
saw action in one undeclared war and two official wars and was
a powerful arm of the United States military capable of carrying
American firepower to distant parts of the globe. Let us look
back on the glorious career of this ship and her perfect battle
record.
She
first went to sea to defend the rights of American seamen and
merchants. By the end of the eighteenth century, French privateers
were seizing merchant vessels bound for England in an attempt
to injure the trade of their enemy. The Quasi War between the
French and the Americans was waged from 1797 to 1801 in the Atlantic
and the West Indies. The French sought to capture American ships,
while the U.S. Navy protected American merchants and hunted down
French privateers. The capture of the Sandwich in port
by the crew of Constitution is an especially daring exploit
of this quasi-war.
After
peace was arranged with the French, the Constitution sailed
to the Mediterranean Sea. Again her mission was to protect American
merchants, this time from the powers of the Barbary Coast of North
Africa. These states preyed on the shipping of any country in
the Mediterranean who did not pay them tribute. The United States
early in its history had paid tribute like most European countries,
but the Jefferson administration changed the American policy and
sent a naval squadron to protect American interests. Constitution
first sailed there in 1803 and remained for four years. The highlight
of her military action in that conflict was the bombardment of
Tripoli with the rest of the U.S. fleet in late summer 1804.
After
the Barbary powers were subdued, shortly after the attack on Tripoli,
the United States was at peace. American merchants, however, still
found it sometimes perilous to travel the West Indies and Atlantic.
British warships continued their habit of stopping American merchants
and pressing members of the crew into service as well as confiscating
cargoes bound for their enemy, France. In 1812, the United States
declared war on Great Britain. The War of 1812 saw numerous naval
engagements, several involving the Constitution. Although
she was laid up in dry dock for six months and blockaded in Boston
Harbor for another six, Constitution managed to get to
sea and defeat four frigates of the mighty British navy, including
two on one day. Her ability to defeat enemy men-of-war without
sustaining much damage herself gained Constitution the
famed nickname she still holds today, "Old Ironsides."
The success of the Constitution forced the Royal Navy to
abandon the practice of one-on-one encounters between their frigates
and the larger U.S. frigates for fear of losing more men-of-war.
After
the War of 1812, Constitution continued to serve her country
in various tasks. In 1853 she was sent to be the flagship of the
African Squadron under the command of Commodore Isaac Mayo. The
African squadron counted among its tasks the stopping and seizing
of any suspected slave traders. The importation of slaves into
the United States had been banned by Congress as early as 1807.
In 1819, the Navy was authorized to seize American ships involved
in the trade, and in 1820 the slave trade was declared piracy.
Finally, in 1842 the United States and Great Britain agreed to
patrol the coast of Africa for suspected slavers. The U.S. Navy's
African Squadron was authorized to search suspicious ships flying
the U.S. flag. The seizure of the H.N. Gambrill
was both the first and last capture of its kind for the Constitution.
It also turned out to be the last prize taken by Constitution.
In
this compilation of original documents "Old Ironsides"
and her crew speak for themselves once again, not as they did
two hundred years ago with canister and grape, but with their
words. They describe the actions and victories of their ship as
they witnessed them, and as they reported them back to their superiors
or friends ashore. In some instances the losing commander describes
what he faced in opposing Constitution. "Old Ironsides"
has a perfect battle record, having never been defeated or boarded.
This is her story in the words of the men who helped her gain
and preserve that record.
Continue to "A Cutting-out Expedition, 1800"25 October 1999