OLD IRONSIDES EARNS ITS NAME:

August 19, 1812

During the War of 1812, the U.S. Navy frigate Constitution defeats the British
frigate Guerrière in a furious engagement off the coast of Nova Scotia.
Witnesses claimed that the British shot merely bounced off the Constitution's
sides, as if the ship were made of iron rather than wood. By the war's end, "Old
Ironsides" destroyed or captured seven more British ships. The success of the
USS Constitution against the supposedly invincible Royal Navy provided a
tremendous boost in morale for the young American republic.The Constitution was
one of six frigates that Congress requested be built in 1794 to help protect
American merchant fleets from attacks by Barbary pirates and harassment by
British and French forces. It was constructed in Boston, and the bolts fastening
its timbers and copper sheathing were provided by the industrialist and patriot
Paul Revere. Launched on October 21, 1797, the Constitution was 204 feet long,
displaced 2,200 tons, and was rated as a 44-gun frigate (although it often
carried as many as 50 guns).In July 1798 it was put to sea with a crew of 450
and cruised the West Indies, protecting U.S. shipping from French privateers. In
1803, President Thomas Jefferson ordered the American warship to the
Mediterranean to fight Barbary pirates off the coast of Tripoli. The vessel
performed commendably during the conflict, and in 1805 a peace treaty with
Tripoli was signed on the Constitution's deck.When war broke out with Britain in
June 1812, the Constitution was commanded by Isaac Hull, who served as
lieutenant on the ship during the Tripolitan War. Scarcely a month later, on
July 16, the Constitution encountered a squadron of five British ships off Egg
Harbor, New Jersey. Finding itself surrounded, the Constitution was preparing to
escape when suddenly the wind died. With both sides dead in the water and just
out of gunnery range, a legendary slow-speed chase ensued. For 36 hours, the
Constitution's crew kept their ship just ahead of the British by towing the
frigate with rowboats and by tossing the ship's anchor ahead of the ship and
then reeling it in. At dawn on July 18, a breeze sprang, and the Constitution
was far enough ahead of its pursuers to escape by sail.One month later, on
August 19, the Constitution caught the British warship Guerrière alone
about 600 miles east of Boston. After considerable maneuvering, the Constitution
delivered its first broadside, and for 20 minutes the American and British
vessels bombarded each other in close and violent action. The British man-of-war
was de-masted and rendered a wreck while the Constitution escaped with only
minimal damage. The unexpected victory of Old Ironsides against a British
frigate helped unite America behind the war effort and made Commander Hull a
national hero. The Constitution went on to defeat or capture seven more British
ships in the War of 1812 and ran the British blockade of Boston twice.After the
war, Old Ironsides served as the flagship of the navy's Mediterranean squadron
and in 1828 was laid up in Boston. Two years later, the navy considered
scrapping the Constitution, which had become unseaworthy, leading to an outcry
of public support for preserving the famous warship. The navy refurbished the
Constitution, and it went on to serve as the flagship of the Mediterranean,
Pacific, and Home squadrons. In 1844, the frigate left New York City on a global
journey that included visits to numerous international ports as a goodwill agent
of the United States. In the early 1850s, it served as flagship of the African
Squadron and patrolled the West African coast looking for slave traders.In 1855,
the Constitution retired from active military service, but the famous vessel
continued to serve the United States, first as a training ship and later as a
touring national landmark. Since 1934, it has been based at the Charlestown Navy
Yard in Boston. Over the years, Old Ironsides has enjoyed a number of
restorations, the most recent of which was completed in 1997, allowing it to
sail for the first time in 116 years. Today, the Constitution is the world's
oldest commissioned warship afloat.