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The USS Constitution is the oldest vessel that has been in service in the US Navy since it was commissioned in 1798.
The USS Constitution is the only vessel in the United States Navy that has seen continuous service since the it finished construction in 1798 in Boston's Hartt Shipyards. Old Ironsides is BuiltIn 1794 the first president of the United States, George Washington, would sign the act that would create the U.S. Navy. The act of congress would call for the construction of six cruisers. Construction of the ship that would become the USS Constitution would take place in Edmond Hartt, the owner of a Boston ship and all six vessels would be designed by Joshua Humphreys, a Quaker from Philadelphia. The newly formed United States of America needed a navy to defend its merchant fleet. The Revolutionary War had not only costs the young country the protection it enjoyed by being a member of the British Empire, but also opened American ships up to aggressive practices employed by the Royal Navy at the time. The USS Constitution Earns Her NicknameConstruction on the USS Constitution, which would earn the nickname Old Ironsides, was completed in 1797 and the ship set sail on her maiden voyage in 1798. The USS Constitution would be involved in a police action with the French, but the ship would not engage in full-scale combat with another sailing vessel until another conflict with the Barbary pirates broke out in 1803. The USS Constitution was appointed as the flagship of the fleet that led attacks on fortresses on the shores of Tripoli. (Some details of the event are recorded in the Marine Corps song “The Halls of Montezuma.”) The USS Constitution earned immortality and the nickname of Old Ironsides during the War of 1812. Nearly 600 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia, the ship and her crew would battle the British Royal Navy ship, the HMS Guerriere. The two vessels would ineffectively shoot and try to outmaneuver each other before engaging in short range combat. While the ships were shooting at each other at close range, one sailor would shout out, “Huzzah, her sides of made of iron!” From this statement, the USS Constitution earned its nickname of Old Ironsides. The Guirrere sunk as a result of a skirmish and the remaining sailors brought aboard the U.S. vessel. The Captain, Officers, and crew werere all rewarded as a result of the victory. Citizens Respond to a Perceived Threat to Old IronsidesNearly two decades after the War of 1812, the USS Constitution was in mothballs at Boston. When word of the plan to determine if the vessel should be refurbished reached the press, the media decided that the report meant the Navy planned to scrap Old Ironsides. Many people, including a young Oliver Wendell Holmes, joined in the efforts to save the USS Constitution. Holmes would write a poem of the same name that lives on to this day. The grass roots effort of which Holmes was a part caused congress to decide to refurbish the ship. The USS Constitution MuseumOld Ironsides fell under threat during the civil war, and was moved from its present location as a result. After the civil war, the USS Constitution would see use as a training vessel. The dawn of the twentieth century saw the ship converted into a museum and use by the public. Restoration efforts for Old Ironsides were often delayed due to lack of funds and at least one civilian effort to save the ship raised funds for much needed repairs. Today, the ship rests in Boston Harbor and tourists can visit both the decks of the ship and the museum detailing the history of the vessel. Sources:
The copyright of the article The USS Constitution in American History is owned by Shawn Landis. Permission to republish The USS Constitution in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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