You have probably heard of “Old Ironsides,” the “unsinkable” warship first launched in 1797. She was one of six warships authorized for construction or purchase by the Naval Act of 1794. Officially named the USS Constitution by George Washington, this amazing ship came to fame during the War of 1812, when British cannonballs kept bouncing off its sturdy wooden sides as if the ship was made of iron. During that war, it defeated five British warships and captured numerous merchant ships. In its long history, it has never been defeated in battle.
In the 1840′s, the Constitution circled the globe. During the U.S. Civil War, she served as a Naval training ship, and she carried artwork across the Atlantic to the Paris Exposition of 1878. The ship was retired from active service in 1881, and was designated as a museum ship in 1907 by an act of Congress. For her 200th birthday in 1997, she once again sailed under her own power. She is stationed in Pier 1 of the former Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston.
Today, the Constitution’s mission is largely ceremonial, promoting the Navy’s historical role in war and peace through outreach programs, historic demonstrations, and participation in public events in the Boston area.
