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USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides" | |
| The USS Constitution, still commissioned in the service of the US Navy, sails once a year on the Fourth of July, but you can visit it for free. | ||
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The oak-hulled, three-masted 44-gun heavy frigate was built in Boston, given the name USS Constitution by President George Washington, and launched in 1797 as one of the six original capital ships of the young United States Navy. Constitution fought Barbary pirates off the coast of North Africa (1801-1805), and defeated five British warships in the War of 1812. In the notable battle with HMS Guerriere in August 1812, the Constitution's unusually thick and sturdy oak hull resisted the British ship's cannonballs so well—bouncing them off her sides—that she earned the nickname "Old Ironsides." Constitution later saw continued service in the Mediterranean and along the coasts of Africa.
During the American Civil War, she was used as a training ship for United States Naval Academy students. Constitution was retired from active service in 1881, but she still sailed, notably on a 90-city tour of the USA in 1931. She is the world's oldest commissioned warship afloat. Docked in Boston Harbor at the Charlestown Navy Yard (map), she was in a deteriorated condition, but was restored for her 200th birthday in 1997, and she sailed out into Boston harbor under her own power. When you visit the USS Constitution, if you're 18 years of age or older, you may be asked to present a government identification document such as a driver's license or passport. Check the USS Constitution website for information on visiting hours. Admission to the shipyard and the ship is free of charge. Sailors in 1812 period uniforms will guide you through the ship and explain its workings to you. The nearby USS Constitution Museum, a separate entity, houses many artifacts dealing with the Constitution's history and its 40 battles at sea (all won), besides a "Life at Sea" exhibit, showing what shipboard life was like in 1812. An admission fee is charged for the museum. The Boston National Historical Park - Charlestown Navy yard also offers programs on the Navy Yard and the American Revolution in Building No. 5 (between the ship and the USS Constitution Museum). The easiest way to reach the Charlestown Navy Yardand USS Constitution is by MBTA F-4 Inner Harbor Ferry from Long Wharf near the New England Aquarium. USS
Constitution ("Old Ironsides")
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USS Constitution ("Old
Ironsides"), Boston MA.
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