USS Constitution under sail in Massachusetts Bay, July 21, 1997.
Career
Ordered:	1794
Laid down:	Summer 1795
Launched:	October 10, 1797
Commissioned:	October 21, 1797
Status:	Active, in commission
General Characteristics
Displacement:	2,200 tons
Length:	175 ft (53 m) bp, 204 ft (62 m) total
Beam:	43.5 ft (13.3 m)
Draught:	14.3 ft (4.4 m) in hold
Propulsion:	Sail (three masts, ship rig)
Speed:	13 kt (38 mph)
Complement:	450 officers and enlisted, including 55 Marines and 30 boys
Armament:	30 × 24 pounder (11 kg) long gun 20 × 32 pounder (15 kg) carronade 2 × 24 pounder (11 kg) bow chasers
Nickname:	"Old Ironsides"

USS Constitution, known as "Old Ironsides," is a wooden-hulled, three-masted frigate of the United States Navy. Named after the United States Constitution, she is the oldest commissioned ship afloat in the world, and is still in service in the US Navy. The Constitution was one of the six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794 and was launched in 1797. Joshua Humphreys designed them to be the Navy's capital ships and so Constitution and her sisters were larger and more heavily armed than the standard frigates of the period. Old Ironsides may refer to: USS Constitution, the oldest ship in the US Navy. ... Image File history File linksMetadata USS_Constitution_1997. ... Map of Massachusetts Bay. ... July 21 is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image File history File links Naval_Jack_of_the_United_States. ... Image File history File links US_flag_15_stars. ... October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in leap years). ... 1797 (MDCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... 1797 (MDCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point, or a point alongside the ship at the mid-point of its length. ... The draft of a ships hull is the vertical distance from the bottom of the hull to the waterline. ... A gaff-rigged cutter flying a mainsail, staysail and genoa jib For other uses, see Sail (disambiguation). ... A full rigged ship or fully rigged ship is a square rigged sailing vessel with three or more masts, all of them square rigged. ... France Marines is the name of a commune in the département of Val dOise, France. ... A long gun is a firearm with an extended barrel, usually designed to be fired braced against the shoulder. ... 24-pounder carronade (140 mm) 68-pounder British naval carronade The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK used from the 1770s to the 1860s. ... The chase guns, usually distinguished as bow chasers and stern chasers (or just chasers for short) were cannons mounted in the bow or stern of a sailing ship. ... A hull is the body or frame of a ship or boat. ... mizzen mast, mainmast and foremast Grand Turk The mast of a sailing ship is a tall vertical pole which supports the sails. ... For the bird, see Frigatebird. ... The United States Navy, also known as the USN or the U.S. Navy, is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ... Page one of the original copy of the Constitution. ... The United States Navy, also known as the USN or the U.S. Navy, is a branch of the United States armed forces responsible for conducting naval operations. ... The six original United States frigates were authorized by Congress with the Naval Act of 1794 on March 27, 1794 at a then-cost of $688,888. ... The Act to Provide a Naval Armament, also known as the Naval Act, was passed by the United States Congress on March 27, 1794 and established the first naval force, which eventually became the United States Navy. ... Joshua Humphreys (June 17, 1751 – January 12, 1838) was an influential and successful ship builder in the United States. ... The capital ships of a navy are its important warships; the ones with the heaviest firepower and armor. ...

In 1917 she was renamed to Old Constitution, to free the name for a new Constitution, a Lexington class battle cruiser that was never completed. She resumed the name Constitution in 1925 after the new hull was cancelled. In early 1941, Constitution was assigned the hull classification symbol IX-21^[1] (the "IX" hull code stands for "Unclassified Miscellaneous"), but was reclassified to "none" on 1 September 1975.^[2] The keel of a Lexington-class battlecruiser, to have been named USS Constitution (CC-5), was laid at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in September 1920, but the class was cancelled in 1923 by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. ... The Lexington class aircraft carriers were the first operational aircraft carriers in the United States Navy (USS Langley was a strictly developmental ship which only served for a short time as an active fleet unit before being converted to a seaplane tender AV-3). ... HMS Invincible, one of Britains first battlecruisers Battlecruisers were large warships of the early 20th century. ... The United States Navy uses hull classification symbols (sometimes called hull codes) to identify the types of its ships. ... The United States Navy reclassified many of its surface vessels in 1975, changing terminology and hull classification symbols for aircraft carriers, cruisers, frigates, and ocean escorts. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

History

Construction and early service

Constitution was built at Edmund Hartt's shipyard in Boston, Massachusetts from the resilient lumber of 2,000 live oak trees (specifically Southern live oak) cut and milled at Gascoigne Bluff on St. Simons, Georgia. Constitution's planks were up to seven inches (178 mm) thick. The ship's design was also unique for its time because of a diagonal cross-bracing of the ship's skeleton that contributed considerably to the ship's structural strength. Paul Revere forged the copper spikes and bolts that held the planks in place and the copper sheathing that protected the hull. It took several abortive attempts to launch Constitution in 1797 before she finally slipped into Boston Harbor. Armed, Constitution first put to sea 22 July 1798 and saw her first service patrolling the southeast coast of the United States during the Quasi-War with France. During her service in the conflict, Constitution's sailors and Marines took part in the amphibious operation against Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo wherein the French privateer Sandwich was cut out and guns from the local Spanish fort were spiked. Nickname: Location in Massachusetts, USA Coordinates: Country United States State Massachusetts County Suffolk County Government  - Mayor Thomas M. Menino (D) Area  - City  89. ... Southern live oaks on Skidaway Island, near Savannah, Georgia Live oak is a general term for a number of unrelated oaks in several different sections of the genus Quercus that happen to share the character of evergreen foliage. ... Binomial name Quercus virginiana Mill. ... Gascoigne Bluff is a bluff next to the Frederica River on the western side of the island of St. ... St. ... For the song by the Beastie Boys, see Paul Revere (song). ... July 22 is the 203rd day of the year (204th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1798 (MDCCXCVIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought entirely at sea between the United States and France from 1798 to 1801. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... Puerto Plata is one the northern provinces of the Dominican Republic. ... Santo Domingo de Guzmán, population 2,061,200 (Metro) (2003), estimated 2,253,437 (Metro) in 2006, is the capital and the largest city of the Dominican Republic. ... A privateer was a private ship (or its captain) authorized by a countrys government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping. ...

In 1803 Constitution was designated flagship for the Mediterranean Squadron under Captain Edward Preble and went to serve against the Barbary States of North Africa, which were demanding tribute from the United States in exchange for allowing American merchant vessels access to Mediterranean ports. Preble began an aggressive campaign against Tripoli, blockading ports and bombarding fortifications. Finally Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers agreed to a peace treaty. A flagship is the ship used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships. ... The Mediterranean Squadron was part of the United States Navy in the 1800s. ... Commodore Edward Preble (1761-1807). ... The states along the Barbary Coast, Algiers, Morocco, Tripoli, and Tunis, were collectively known as the Barbary States. ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic North Africa, including the UN subregion North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, generally divided politically from Sub-Saharan Africa. ... A tribute (from Latin tribulum, contribution) is wealth one party gives to another as a sign of respect or, as was often case in historical contexts, of submission or allegiance. ... Tripoli (Arabic: طرابلس Tarābulus) is the capital city of Libya. ... Tripoli (Arabic: طرابلس Tarābulus) is the capital city of Libya. ... “Alger” redirects here. ...

Constitution patrolled the North African coast for two years after the war ended, commanded by Stephen Decatur and two other captains between 1803 and 1805, to enforce the terms of the treaty. Stephen Decatur, Jr. ...

She returned to Boston in 1807 for two years of refitting. The ship was recommissioned as flagship of the North Atlantic Squadron in 1809 under Commodore John Rodgers. The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. ... John Rodgers (11 July 1772 - 1 August 1838), American naval officer, was born near present Havre de Grace, Maryland. ...

War of 1812

Carronade on the deck of the Constitution

By early 1812, relations with the United Kingdom had deteriorated and the Navy began preparing for war, which was declared 20 June. Captain Isaac Hull, who had been appointed Constitution's commanding officer in 1810, put to sea 12 July, without orders, to prevent being blockaded in port. His intention was to join the five ships of Rodgers' squadron. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1469 KB) Summary Canon on the U.S.S. Constitution Photograph taken by me with a Sony Cybershot Digital camera, July 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2048x1536, 1469 KB) Summary Canon on the U.S.S. Constitution Photograph taken by me with a Sony Cybershot Digital camera, July 2006. ... 24-pounder carronade (140 mm) 68-pounder British naval carronade The carronade was a short smoothbore, cast iron cannon, developed for the Royal Navy by the Carron Company, an ironworks in Falkirk, Scotland, UK used from the 1770s to the 1860s. ... June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Isaac Hull (March 9, 1773 – February 13, 1843), was a Commodore, in the United States Navy. ... July 12 is the 193rd day of the year (194th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Constitution sighted five ships off Egg Harbor, New Jersey, July 17. By the following morning the lookouts had determined they were a British squadron that had sighted Constitution and were giving chase. Finding themselves becalmed, Hull and his seasoned crew put boats over the side to tow their ship out of range. By using kedge anchors to draw the ship forward, and wetting the sails down to take advantage of every breath of wind, Hull slowly made headway against the pursuing British. After two days and nights of toil in the relentless July heat, Constitution finally eluded her pursuers. Egg Harbor Township is a township located in Atlantic County, New Jersey. ... July 17 is the 198th day of the year (199th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... A stocked ships anchor. ...

Locked in combat, Constitution brings down Guerriere's mizzenmast

But one month later on August 19, she met with one of them again—the frigate HMS Guerriere off the coast of Nova Scotia. The British frigate opened fire upon entering range of Constitution. Captain Hull held his ship's guns in check until the two warships were a mere 25 yards apart, at which point he ordered a full broadside. Over the course of the engagement, the ships collided three times but musket fire from the Marine complements on both Guerriere and Constitution prevented boarding parties from being sent. During the third and final collision, Guerriere 's bowsprit became entangled in Constitution 's rigging. When the two ships pulled apart, the force of extracting the bowsprit sent shockwaves through Guerriere 's rigging. Her foremast soon collapsed and it took the mainmast down with it shortly afterward. At the conclusion of the engagement Guerriere was a dis-masted hulk, so badly damaged that she was not worth towing to port. Hull had used his heavier broadsides and his ship's superior sailing ability, while the British, to their astonishment, saw that their shot seemed to rebound harmlessly off Constitution's strong live oak hull—giving her the nickname "Old Ironsides". Painting of combat between USS Constitution and HMS Guerriere by Michel Felice Corne, collected from [1] and cropped File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Painting of combat between USS Constitution and HMS Guerriere by Michel Felice Corne, collected from [1] and cropped File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the bird, see Frigatebird. ... HMS Guerriere was a British 3-masted sail frigate of 38 (the captain was a homosexual)guns captured from the French, and commanded by Captain Tom Dacres when she met the Constitution in her last battle on 19 August 1812. ... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit(Latin) One defends and the other conquers Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Regional Municipality Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor Mayann E. Francis - Premier Rodney MacDonald (PC) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 11 - Senate seats 10 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... For the bird, see Frigatebird. ...

Under the command of William Bainbridge, "Old Ironsides" met HMS Java, another British frigate, in December. Their three-hour engagement left Java unfit for repair, so she was burned. Constitution's victories gave a tremendous boost to the morale of the American people. William Bainbridge (1774-1833). ... The French built frigate Renommée was taken by the English near Madagascar and renamed HMS Java. ...

Despite having to spend many months in port, either under repair or because of blockades, Constitution managed eight more captures under the command of Charles Stewart, including a British frigate, HMS Cyane, and a sloop, HM Sloop Levant, sailing in company which she fought and defeated simultaneously, before she returned to port in 1815 to find the war had ended. After six years of extensive repairs, she returned to duty as flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron. She sailed back to Boston in 1828. Charles Stewart (28 July 1778 - 6 November 1869) was an officer in the United States Navy. ... For the bird, see Frigatebird. ... Cyane was a sailing frigate built in 1796 at Frinsbury, England, for the Royal Navy. ... A sloop-rigged J-24 sailboat A sloop (From Dutch sloep) in sailing, is a vessel with a fore-and-aft rig. ...

1835 Service after reconstruction

An examination in 1830 found her unfit for sea, but the American public expressed great indignation at the recommendation that she be scrapped, especially after publication of Oliver Wendell Holmes' poem "Old Ironsides". Congress passed an appropriation for reconstruction and in 1835 she was placed back in commission. She served as flagship in the Mediterranean and the South Pacific and made a 30-month voyage around the world beginning in March 1844. Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. ...

In the 1850s she patrolled the African coast in search of slavers, and during the American Civil War served as a training ship for midshipmen. But Constitution, along with all ships of her type, was becoming rapidly obsolete as a fighting vessel. As early as 1838, steamships had begun to make regular transatlantic crossings (see steamboat) and the Civil War's Battle of Hampton Roads had shown the impotence of wooden-hulled warships when faced with ships made of (or clad in) iron. Slaver has several meanings: One who deals in slaves. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... | Jöns Jakob Berzelius, discoverer of protein 1838 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Paddle steamers - Lucerne-Switzerland Left: original paddlewheel from a paddle steamer on the lake of Lucerne. ... Paddle steamers — Lucerne, Switzerland. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders John L. Worden Franklin Buchanan Catesby R. Jones Strength 1 ironclad, 3 wooden warships 1 ironclad, 2 wooden warships, 1 gunboat, 2 tenders Casualties 2 wooden warships sunk, 1 wooden warship damaged 261 killed 108 wounded 1 ironclad damaged 7... General Name, Symbol, Number iron, Fe, 26 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 8, 4, d Appearance lustrous metallic with a grayish tinge Standard atomic weight 55. ...

Even when restricted from front line duties, however, Constitution continued to serve the Navy and the country, and after another period of rebuilding in 1871, she transported goods for the Paris Exposition of 1877 and served once more as a training ship. Decommissioned in 1882, she was used as a receiving ship at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She returned to Boston to celebrate her centennial in 1897. Paris Exposition can refer to The French Industrial Exposition of 1844 The Paris Exposition of 1855, Exposition Universelle (1855) The Paris Exposition of 1867, Exposition Universelle (1867) The Paris Exposition or Paris Worlds Fair of 1878, Exposition Universelle (1878) The Paris Exposition of 1889, Exposition Universelle (1889) The Paris... Location in Rockingham County, New Hampshire Coordinates: Country United States State New Hampshire County Rockingham County Incorporated 1653 Mayor Steve Marchand City manager John P. Bohenko Area    - City 43. ...

1925 restoration

USS Constitution salutes USS Ramage, USS Halyburton, and the Blue Angels in Massachusetts Bay on July 21, 1997.

In 1905, public sentiment saved her once more from scrapping. In 1917 she was renamed Old Constitution, to free her name for a planned new Lexington-class battlecruiser, USS Constitution (CC-5). Constitution (CC-5) was canceled in 1923 (only 14 percent completed) due to the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty. In 1925 the ship, once again bearing the name Constitution, was restored through the donations of schoolchildren and patriotic groups. After being recommissioned on July 1, 1931, she set out under tow for a tour of 90 port cities along the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 489 pixelsFull resolution (1276 × 780 pixel, file size: 669 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) USS Constitution fires its guns in salute while underway in Massachusetts Bay, escorted by the frigate USS Halyburton (FFG 40) (center) and the destroyer USS Ramage... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 489 pixelsFull resolution (1276 × 780 pixel, file size: 669 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) USS Constitution fires its guns in salute while underway in Massachusetts Bay, escorted by the frigate USS Halyburton (FFG 40) (center) and the destroyer USS Ramage... USS Ramage (DDG-61) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Vice Admiral Lawson P. Ramage, a notable submarine commander in World War II. Ramage was laid down January 4, 1993 at the Ingalls Shipbuilding Co. ... USS Halyburton (FFG-40), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, is a ship of the United States Navy named for Pharmicists Mate Second Class William D. Halyburton, Jr. ... The United States Navys Blue Angels (or Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron), formed in 1946, is the worlds first officially sanctioned military aerial demonstration team. ... Map of Massachusetts Bay. ... The Lexington class aircraft carriers were the first operational aircraft carriers in the United States Navy (USS Langley was a strictly developmental ship which only served for a short time as an active fleet unit before being converted to a seaplane tender AV-3). ... HMS Hood (left) and the battleship HMS Barham (right), in Malta, 1937. ... The keel of a Lexington-class battlecruiser, to have been named USS Constitution (CC-5), was laid at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in September 1920, but the class was cancelled in 1923 by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. ... The Washington Naval Treaty limited the naval armaments of its five signatories: the United States, the British Empire, the Empire of Japan, the French Third Republic, and Italy. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ... States that border the Gulf of Mexico are shown in red The Gulf Coast region of the United States comprises the coasts of states which border the Gulf of Mexico. ... Regional definitions vary from source to source. ...

More than 4.6 million people visited her during the three-year journey. Having secured her position as an American icon, she returned to her home port of Boston. In 1940, she was placed in permanent commission, and an act of Congress in 1954 made the Secretary of the Navy responsible for her upkeep. An Act of Vaginapenis is a bill or resolution adopted by both houses of the United States Congress to which one of the following events has happened: Acceptance by the President of the United States, Inaction by the President after ten days from reception (excluding Sundays) while the Congress is... Flag of the United States Secretary of the Navy. ...

On July 11, 1976, as part of her Bicentennial Visit to the United States, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh came to Boston and toured the ship with Commanding Officer Tyrone G. Martin. Secretary of the Navy J. William Middendorf presented the queen with a sea chest made from original wood that had been removed from the hull of Constitution during refurbishment in the early 1970s. The United States Bicentennial was celebrated on Sunday, July 4, 1976, the 200th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... Sleeping Beauty character, see Sleeping Beauty (1959 film). ... Tyrone G. Martin is a US Navy commander and naval historian, notable as an authority on the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides), of which he was the 49th captain, between 1974 and 1978. ... John William Middendorf II (born September 22, 1924) was a Republican United States diplomat. ...

1992-95 refit and return to sail

From 1992 to 1995, the Constitution underwent a 44-month refit and overhaul that returned the ship to fully sailable condition. Her refit was far less extensive and intensive than Constellation's, as Constitution was in much better shape. The USS Constellation constructed in 1854 is a sloop-of-war and the second United States Navy ship to carry this famous name. ...

On July 21, 1997, as part of her 200th birthday celebration, Constitution set sail for the first time in 116 years. She was towed from her usual berth in Boston enroute to an overnight mooring in Marblehead. The visit to Marblehead marked the first time since 1934 that the ship had been absent overnight from its berth in Charlestown. Embarked dignitaries among the approximately 450 personnel onboard included the Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps(General Richard I. Neal), Senator Kennedy, and the venerable Walter Cronkite, an avid sailor. A little more than five nautical miles offshore, the tow line was dropped, and the commanding officer (Commander Mike Beck, USN) ordered her six sails set -- (jibs, topsails, and driver). Constitution then sailed unassisted for 40 minutes on a South South East course. With true wind speeds of about 12 knots, the ship attained a top recorded speed of six and a half knots. (See infobox picture at top.) While under sail, her modern naval combatant escorts, USS Ramage (DDG-61) and USS Halyburton (FFG-40), rendered Passing Honors to Old Ironsides. The ship was overflown by the Blue Angels, honoring the ship's first sail in over 116 years. Inbound to her permanent berth at Charlestown the following evening, she rendered a 21-gun salute to the nation, abeam Fort Independence (Castle Island) in Boston Harbor.^[3] Location in Massachusetts Coordinates: Country United States State Massachusetts County Essex County Settled 1629 Incorporated 1649 Government  - Type Open town meeting Area  - Town  19. ... Flag of the United States Secretary of the Navy. ... The Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) is the senior military officer in the United States Navy. ... Edward Moore Ted Kennedy (born February 22, 1932) is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. ... Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. ... A typical jib on a small yacht A jib is a triangular staysail set ahead of the foremost mast of a sailing boat. ... A topsail is a sail set above another sail; on square-rigged vessels further sails may be set above topsails. ... A driver is a kind of sail used on some sailboats. ... USS Ramage (DDG-61) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy, named for Vice Admiral Lawson P. Ramage, a notable submarine commander in World War II. Ramage was laid down January 4, 1993 at the Ingalls Shipbuilding Co. ... USS Halyburton (FFG-40), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, is a ship of the United States Navy named for Pharmicists Mate Second Class William D. Halyburton, Jr. ... The 21-gun salute is a military honour performed when 21 rounds are fired from a cannon, rifle, or other form of firearm. ... Categories: Stub | Massachusetts geography | Boston ...

Present day

Constitution renders a 21-gun salute to the Nation off Fort Independence during her Independence Day turnaround cruise.

The modern day role of "Old Ironsides" is that of "ship of state". USS Constitution is today considered the most famous vessel in American naval history. Her mission is to promote the Navy to millions of visitors and observers each year. The crew of 55 sailors participates in ceremonies, educational programs and special events (including sail drill) while keeping the ship open to visitors year-round and providing free tours. The crew are all active-duty sailors and the assignment is considered special duty in the Navy. Traditionally, the duty of captain of the vessel is assigned to an active duty Navy commander. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3072x2048, 738 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): USS Constitution 21-gun salute Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3072x2048, 738 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): USS Constitution 21-gun salute Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or... The 21-gun salute is a military honour performed when 21 rounds are fired from a cannon, rifle, or other form of firearm. ... Castle Island is a 22 acre major recreation site located in South Boston on Boston Harbor. ... In the United States, Independence Day (commonly known as the Fourth of July or July Fourth) is a federal holiday celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from Great Britain. ... Commander is a military rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. ...

While Constitution is the oldest fully commissioned vessel afloat, she is not the oldest commissioned. HMS Victory holds the honor of being the oldest commissioned warship by three decades, however Victory is permanently drydocked. Constitution is one of only two presently commissioned ships in the US Navy known to have sunk an enemy vessel. The other is USS Simpson (FFG-56). No others are still in service. HMS Victory is a 104-gun ship of the line of the Royal Navy, built between 1759 and 1765. ... U.S. Navy submarine USS Greeneville in dry dock following collision with a fishing boat. ... USS Simpson (FFG-56) is an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate of the United States Navy, named for Rear Admiral Rodger W. Simpson. ...

Constitution is berthed at Pier 1 of the former Charlestown Navy Yard at one end of Boston's Freedom Trail. She is open to the public year round. However, as a commissioned US Navy ship, a visit to "Old Ironsides" is subject to Navy provisions and the fact that she occasionally puts out to sea. Consult her official website for schedule and provisions. The private USS Constitution Museum is nearby, located in a restored shipyard building at the foot of Pier 2. The Boston Navy Yard, originally Charlestown Navy Yard and after 1945 Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities of the United States Navy. ... Bostons Freedom Trail is a red (mostly brick) path through downtown Boston which leads to sixteen significant historical sites. ... The USS Constitution Museum serves as the memory and educational voice of USS  Constitution, by collecting, preserving, and interpreting the stories of Old Ironsides and the people associated with her. ...

Timeline

• October 21, 1797 - USS Constitution launched and christened at Edmond Hartt's Shipyard, Boston.
• August 1798 - Ordered into action in the Quasi-War with France.
• 1803–1806 - Flagship, Mediterranean Squadron, Barbary Wars.
• 1812–1815 - War of 1812 with United Kingdom.
  • August 19, 1812 - Defeats 38-gun British frigate HMS Guerriere. Crew bestows her with "Old Ironsides" nickname because of cannonballs bouncing off her sides.
  • December 29, 1812 - Captures British frigate HMS Java and five smaller vessels.
  • February 20, 1815 - Captures British frigate HMS Cyane sailing in company with HM Sloop Levant.
• 1828–1830 - Laid up at Boston and condemned by naval commissioners, she was saved by the poem "Old Ironsides" by Oliver Wendell Holmes.
• March 1844 - Begins 30-month voyage around the world.
• 1920 - Renamed Old Constitution in preparation for the construction of a brand new all-steel battlecruiser to be named USS Constitution (CC-5).
• 1923 - Constitution (CC-5) is canceled before completion and scrapped. The word "Old" is dropped from the name of Old Constitution, restoring her to her original name.
• 1931–1934 - National cruise takes "Old Ironsides" to 90 American cities, returns to her place of honor in Boston harbor.
• 1957 - Norwegian cadet sailors of the Christian Radich came aboard Constitution in Boston during summer filming of the wide-screen motion picture "Windjammer". The movie was released in America in 1958. Scenes of the movie were also filmed in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
• December 19, 1960 - Constitution designated a National Historic Landmark.^[2]
• 1972–1975 - A restoration of Constitution takes place in preparation for the Bicentennial celebration of the United States; some original wood is removed from the hull.
• 1976 - Queen Elizabeth II tours "Old Ironsides" during the U.S. Bicentennial.
• March 1996–1997 - Completes 44-month restoration.
• July 21, 1997 - Underway on sail alone for the first time 116 years.

October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... 1797 (MDCCXCVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 11-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Quasi-War was an undeclared war fought entirely at sea between the United States and France from 1798 to 1801. ... The Barbary Wars were two wars between the United States of America and piratical city-states in North Africa. ... Combatants United States Great Britain Canada Bermuda Eastern Woodland Indians Commanders James Madison Henry Dearborn Jacob Brown Winfield Scott Andrew Jackson George Prevost Isaac Brock† Tecumseh† Strength •U.S. Regular Army: 35,800 •Rangers: 3,049 •Militia: 458,463* •US Navy & US Marines: (at start of war): •Frigates:6 •Other... August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the overture by Tchaikovsky, see 1812 Overture; For the wars, see War of 1812 (USA - United Kingdom) or Patriotic War of 1812 (France - Russia) For the Siberia Airlines plane crashed over the Black Sea on October 4, 2001, see Siberia Airlines Flight 1812 1812 was a leap year starting... HMS Guerriere was a British 3-masted sail frigate of 38 (the captain was a homosexual)guns captured from the French, and commanded by Captain Tom Dacres when she met the Constitution in her last battle on 19 August 1812. ... December 29 is the 363rd day of the year (364th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 2 days remaining. ... For the overture by Tchaikovsky, see 1812 Overture; For the wars, see War of 1812 (USA - United Kingdom) or Patriotic War of 1812 (France - Russia) For the Siberia Airlines plane crashed over the Black Sea on October 4, 2001, see Siberia Airlines Flight 1812 1812 was a leap year starting... The French built frigate Renommée was taken by the English near Madagascar and renamed HMS Java. ... February 20 is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... April 5-12: Mount Tambora explodes, changing climate. ... Cyane was a sailing frigate built in 1796 at Frinsbury, England, for the Royal Navy. ... Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. ... The keel of a Lexington-class battlecruiser, to have been named USS Constitution (CC-5), was laid at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in September 1920, but the class was cancelled in 1923 by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. ... The Christian Radich under sail, courtesy of the foundation. ... The Windjammer movie records an actual voyage of the Norwegian sail Windjammer training ship Christian Radich. ... December 19 is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... July 21 is the 202nd day of the year (203rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Specifications

The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...

Constitution in literature, film, and popular culture

USS Constitution underway for her annual turn around cruise

Constitution is portrayed by a sea-going replica in the 1926 silent film Old Ironsides, which features a dramatized version of the actions in the First Barbary War. Noteworthy scenes include Stephen Decatur's raid on the captured USS Philadelphia, Richard Somers' destruction of the ketch Intrepid, and the on-screen sinking of the three-masted barquentine S. N. Castle (representing a Tripoli raider). Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3072x2048, 767 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): USS Constitution Six original United States frigates Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (3072x2048, 767 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): USS Constitution Six original United States frigates Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital... Combatants United States Barbary States (Ottoman Empire regencies) Commanders Richard Dale William Eaton Edward Preble Hassan Bey Murad Reis Strength 7 Ships 10 US Marines and Soldiers Christian Mercenaries Arab Mercenaries 4000 Casualties 2 Ships destroyed 2 Marines killed, 3 wounded Christian/Arab Mercenaries killed and wounded uncertain Unknown The... Stephen Decatur, Jr. ... The second USS Philadelphia of the United States Navy was a 36 gun sailing frigate. ... Richard Somers (1778 or 1779 - 4 September 1804) was an officer of the United States Navy, killed during a daring assault on Tripoli. ... The first USS Intrepid was a captured ketch in the United States Navy during the First Barbary War. ...

In C. S. Forester's novel Hornblower and the Hotspur, HMS Hotspur, in port in Cádiz, Spain, is briefly berthed next to Constitution, which is visiting there during her service against the Barbary pirates. The cover of the 1974 paperback edition of one of Foresters non-fiction titles: Hunting The Bismarck Cecil Scott Forester was the pen name of Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (August 27, 1899 – April 2, 1966), an English novelist who rose to fame with tales of adventure with military themes. ... Hornblower and the Hotspur (published 1962) is a Horatio Hornblower novel written by C. S. Forester. ... Nickname: Tacita de plata (little silver cup) Location within Spain Province Cádiz  - Mayor Teófila Martínez (PP) Area    - City 12. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Constitution's action against HMS Java appears in Patrick O'Brian's book The Fortune of War.^[4] The French built frigate Renommée was taken by the English near Madagascar and renamed HMS Java. ... Patrick OBrian (December 12, 1914 – January 2, 2000; original name Richard Patrick Russ) was a novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series of novels set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and centered on the friendship of Captain Jack Aubrey and an Irish–Catalan... The Aubrey–Maturin series, also known as the Aubreyad, is a sequence of 20 historical novels by Patrick OBrian, set during the Napoleonic Wars and centring on the friendship between Captain Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy and his ships surgeon Stephen Maturin, who is also a physician...

In the movie, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, the fictional French frigate Acheron was computer modeled after the Constitution, using a stem to stern digital image scan of the real Old Ironsides.^[5] The fictional Acheron was built in Boston by the Americans. In the novel The Far Side of the World, Acheron did not appear; Surprise's quarry was the fictional American frigate USS Norfolk, based on the actual USS Essex. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is a 2003 film directed by Peter Weir and starring Russell Crowe as Jack Aubrey, with Paul Bettany as Stephen Maturin. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... The Aubrey–Maturin series, also known as the Aubreyad, is a sequence of 20 historical novels by Patrick OBrian, set during the Napoleonic Wars and centring on the friendship between Captain Jack Aubrey of the Royal Navy and his ships surgeon Stephen Maturin, who is also a physician... The first USS Essex of the United States Navy was a sailing frigate that participated in the Quasi-War with France and in the War of 1812, wherein she was captured by the British (1814). ...

An episode of the G.I. Joe animated series featured sailing the Constitution after Cobra Commander used a device to render his flagship invulnerable to modern warships with electronic devices. Cobra Commander, art by Tim Seeley. ...

The WizKids Game "Pirates of the Revolution" features the Constitution as a playable ship. Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

Author Clive Cussler's novel Fire Ice involves the USS Constitution in a battle scene. // Clive Eric Cussler (born July 15, 1931 in Aurora, Illinois)[1][2] is an American adventure novelist and successful amateur marine archaeologist. ...

The Enterprise in the sci fi television series Star Trek is a Constitution class star ship namened as such after the USS Constitution. The current Star Trek franchise logo Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment series. ...

Urban legend

On August 6, 1997, Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton gave a speech about the Ironsides.[1] He described in detail a journey as part of the War of 1812, that took her from Boston to Jamaica to the Portuguese Azores to England, defeating five British men-of-war and scuttling 12 English merchantmen, before heading, unarmed, up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland to raid a whisky distillery, and finally returning to Boston Harbor on February 23. The point of the story was that the Navy and Marine Corps had "spirit", and weren't much for drinking non-alcoholic beverages. However, despite the seemingly specific details, and the fact that the story is often forwarded around the internet via email, and appears in several personal "naval history" websites (often suffixed with the traditional "Go Navy!" or "Beat Army!"), it is almost certainly false. There is no historical record of the ship sailing anywhere near Scotland, nor of engaging in battle with that many warships. Additionally, the legend would have required each crewman to consume over two gallons of alcohol per day. August 6 is the 218th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (219th in leap years), with 147 days remaining. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Flag of the United States Secretary of the Navy. ... John Howard Dalton (born 1941) is a U.S. administrator and banker. ... Combatants United States Great Britain Canada Bermuda Eastern Woodland Indians Commanders James Madison Henry Dearborn Jacob Brown Winfield Scott Andrew Jackson George Prevost Isaac Brock† Tecumseh† Strength •U.S. Regular Army: 35,800 •Rangers: 3,049 •Militia: 458,463* •US Navy & US Marines: (at start of war): •Frigates:6 •Other... Motto (Portuguese for Rather die free than in peace subjugated) Anthem  (national)  (local) Capital Ponta Delgada1 Angra do Heroísmo2 Horta3 Largest city Ponta Delgada Official languages Portuguese Government Autonomous region  -  President Carlos César Establishment  -  Settled 1439   -  Autonomy 1976  Area  -  Total 2,333 km² (n/a) 911 sq mi... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem God Save the Queen England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 967 AD  Area  -  Total 130,395 km²  50,346 sq mi  Population  -  2007 estimate 50... Map of the Firth of Clyde and area The Firth of Clyde forms a large area of coastal water, sheltered from the Atlantic ocean by the Kintyre peninsula which encloses the outer firth in Argyll and Ayrshire, Scotland. ... Motto (Latin) No one provokes me with impunity Cha togar mfhearg gun dioladh (Scottish Gaelic)1 Wha daur meddle wi me?(Scots)1 Anthem (Multiple unofficial anthems) Scotlands location in Europe Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official languages English, Gaelic, Scots Government Constitutional monarchy  -  Queen Queen Elizabeth II... Whisky, or whiskey, refers to a broad category of alcoholic beverages that are distilled from fermented grain mash and aged in wooden casks (generally oak). ... Distillation is a means of separating liquids through differences in their boiling points. ... M*A*S*H, see The Army-Navy Game (M*A*S*H episode). ...

Some versions of the story have the journey 1812-1813, some have it 1779-1780 (especially unlikely, since the ship was not launched until 1797). The exact origin of the story is not clear. Some reports say that it was printed in a periodical of the Oceanographer of the US Navy, Oceanographic Ships, Fore and Aft, although this may have simply been an embellishment on the urban legend.[2] Another source is quoted as "U.S. Atlantic Command, Joint Training, Analysis and Simulation Center." Oceanography (from Ocean + Greek γράφειν = write), also called oceanology and marine science is the study of the earths oceans and their interlinked ecosystems and chemical and physical processes. ... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... An urban legend or urban myth is similar to a modern folklore consisting of stories often thought to be factual by those circulating them. ...

See also

• USS Constitution (CC-5)
• Space Shuttle Enterprise (OV-101)
• USS Constitution (NCC-1700) (fictional)

The keel of a Lexington-class battlecruiser, to have been named USS Constitution (CC-5), was laid at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in September 1920, but the class was cancelled in 1923 by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. ... The Space Shuttle Enterprise (NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-101) was the first Space Shuttle built for NASA. It was constructed without engines or a functional heat shield, and was therefore not capable of space operations; its purpose was to perform test flights in the atmosphere. ... The USS Constitution (NCC-1700) was the pathfinder for the Constitution class in the Star Trek fictional universe. ...

References

This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships (DANFS for short) is the primary reference work for the basic facts about every ship ever used by the United States Navy. ...

1. ^ IX-21 Constitution. Retrieved on 2007-02-11.
2. ^ ^{a b} USS CONSTITUTION. Naval Vessel Register. Retrieved on 2007-02-12.
3. ^ Sail 200. Retrieved on 2007-02-11.
4. ^ Patrick O'Brian (1980). The Fortune of War. ISBN 0393308138. 
5. ^ Now Playing at a Theater Near You: Old Ironsides. The Washington Post (2003-11-16). Retrieved on 2006-07-01.

• Thomas P. Horgan, Old Ironsides (Burdette & Co., 1963)
• Tyrone G. Martin, A Most Fortunate Ship 2nd edition (Naval Institute Press, 1997)
• Undefeated (Tryon Publishing Company, 1996)
• "The Great Ships - Frigates" (The History Channel, 1997)
• [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/* A Signal Honor (Tryon Publishing Company, 2003)
• "A Call to the Sea: Captain Charles Stewart of the USS Constitution"

2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Tyrone G. Martin is a US Navy commander and naval historian, notable as an authority on the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides), of which he was the 49th captain, between 1974 and 1978. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

USS Constitution

Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... The Wikimedia Commons (also called Wikicommons) is a repository of free content images, sound and other multimedia files. ...

US Navy links

• Official USS Constitution homepage
• Old Ironsides' Battle Record, including original documents
• Artwork of Constitution in the War of 1812 escaping the British fleet and capturing HMS Guerriere
• Constitution's U.S. Navy Fact File entry
• Constitution's Naval Vessel Registry entry

General links

• The Captain's Clerk
• USS Constitution Museum
• local.live.com Bird's Eye View of USS Constitution at port
• Biography of Captain Charles Stewart of the USS Constitution
• Maritimequest USS Constitution Photo Gallery
• Boston National Historical Park Official Website

Coordinates: 42°22′20.88″N, 71°03′23.68″W
Image of the North End, Boston neighborhood. ... Bostons Freedom Trail is a red (mostly brick) path through downtown Boston which leads to sixteen significant historical sites. ... Bunker Hill Monument, 2001. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...