By: History.com Editors

1797

USS Constitution launched

History.com Editors

Published: February 09, 2010

Last Updated: January 24, 2025

After two unsuccessful attempts, the USS Constitution is launched in Boston Harbor. The a 44-gun U.S. Navy frigate, built to fight Barbary pirates off the coast of Tripoli, performed commendably during those conflicts, and in 1805 a peace treaty with Tripoli was signed on the Constitution‘s deck.

During the War of 1812, the Constitution won its enduring nickname “Old Ironsides” after defeating the British warship Guerriére in a furious engagement off the coast of Nova Scotia. Witnesses claimed that the British shots merely bounced off the Constitution‘s sides, as if the ship were made of iron rather than wood. The success of the Constitution against the supposedly invincible Royal Navy provided a tremendous morale boost for the young American republic.

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 one of the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat.

Timeline

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1861

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1941

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1959

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This Day In History: Guggenheim Museum opens in New York City

1966

Aberfan disaster kills 144 people and levels a Welsh mining village

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1967

Thousands protest the war in Vietnam

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Citation Information

Article title
USS Constitution launched
Website Name
History
Date Accessed
March 23, 2025
Publisher
A&E Television Networks
Last Updated
January 24, 2025
Original Published Date
February 09, 2010

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