Frigates

Hopefully I will be adding some pictures of the U.S.S. Constitution to this page, be sure and check back. This is not a detailed history of the U.S.S. Constitution, only a brief highlight of her history and fast facts. My report writing is a little rusty so please excuse any blunders in grammar and please feel free to E-mail me with noted mistakes. Thanks for visiting.

On March 27, 1794, the House of Representatives passed an act authorizing the creation of a United States Navy. For our Navy Congress authorized the "procurement of six frigates, and appropriated $688,888.82."⁽¹⁾ Of the six requested frigates four of the ships would be classified as the 44 gun Frigate Class and two of the ships would be classified as the 38 gun Frigate Class.

The First U.S. Frigates were:

1 - U.S.S. United States, a 44-gun Frigate built in Philadelphia and launched on May 10, 1797.

2 - U.S.S. Constellation, a 38-gun Frigate built in Baltimore and launched on September 7, 1797.

3 - U.S.S. Constitution, a 44-gun Frigate built in Boston Massachusetts and launched on October 21, 1797.

4 - U.S.S. Chesapeake, a 38-gun Frigate built in Gasport, Virginia and launched on June 20, 1799.

5 - U.S.S. Congress, a 38-gun Frigate built in New Hampshire and launched on August 15, 1799.

6 - U.S.S. President, a 44-gun Frigate built in New York and launched on April 1, 1800.

The U.S.S. Constitution would go on to become the oldest commissioned ship in the United States Naval history. During the battle of 1812, a young sailor witnessed enemy cannon balls bouncing off the hull of the U.S.S. Constitution and exclaimed "Her sides are made of iron." From that time on the U.S.S. Constitution was known as old Ironside. Built in Boston Massachusetts at Hartt's Shipyard, her original launch date was September 20, 1797, however, the frigate moved only 27 feet off her berth. Finally on October 21, 1797, the U.S.S. Constitution was underway, to serve gallantly protecting our country through the years.

In 1830 the U.S.S. Constitution was declared unseaworthy and plans were made to scrap her. Fortunately a young man by the name of Oliver Wendell Holmes came to her rescue. Mr. Wendell wrote a poem:

Oh better that her shattered hulk

Should sink beneath the wave;

Her thunders shook the mighty deep,

And there should be her grave.

The poem was published in newspapers and started a cry of patriotism across America. Congress finally appropriated funds to restore the U.S.S. Constitution for duty. She would go on to become an Ambassador for the United States. "In 1840 she was host to Pope Pius IX in Italy, the first time a reigning pontiff had set foot on United States territory-- for such were her decks considered."⁽²⁾

The U.S.S. Constellation, nicknamed "Baltimore Race Horse," was completely rebuilt 1853-1855 as a sloop-of-war, and after serving as a fleet flag ship in World War II, was placed on display in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. There are many controversies surrounding the U.S.S Constitution. I highly recommend that you visit: http://www.constellation.org/index.html for more information.

Years later she would be refitted for public display, in 1905 the U.S.S. Constitution was opened to the public as a museum to honor the first frigate class of ships, a national monument of American Ship Building. In 1931 the U.S.S... Constitution was recommisioned and sailed into American ports until 1934. For 116 years she sat as a museum only moving for her yearly turnaround (an approximately two-hour exercise, where she is gently towed a few miles out to reverse her position at dock, this is to prevent uneven weathering). On July 21, 1997, 116 years since her last sail under her own power, the U.S.S... Constitution set sail in Massachusetts Bay.

Today the U.S.S. Constitution, "Old Ironside" sits in her harbor as a museum. If you go to see her, close your eyes and let the ghosts of her history, her battles and the sailors who proudly trusted her with their lives, enter your conscience.

U.S.S. CONSTITUTION FAST FACTS
Builders	Colonel George Claghorn
Length	204 feet billet head to taffrail
Beam	43.5 feet
Displacement	2,200 tons
Masts	foremast: 198 feet Mainmast: 220 feet, Mizzenmast: 172.5 feet Could carry 42,000 square feet of sail. Total of 37 sails.
Speed	14 knots ( approx. 14.95 miles per hour, 24 km. per hour)
Crew	450 including 55 Marines and 30 boys (1797)
Armament	32 24-pounder long guns; 20 32-pounder carronades, and two 24-pounder bow chasers
Hull	Sides were made of oak and were 15 - 20 inches thick.
Other	The hempen anchor chain is 22 inches in circumference.
First Shot fired in anger	Victoriously on February 9, 1799 against the French frigate Insuregente.
Last Shot fired in anger	Victoriously on February 20, 1815 against the British frigates H.M.S. Levant and the H.M.S. Cyane.

* Some information is courtesy of U.S.S. Constitution Online at http://www.ncts.navy.mil/homepages/constitution/

So, what became of the other frigates:

The U.S.S. Constellation, nicknamed "Baltimore Race Horse," became a museum in Baltimore.

The U.S.S. President and the U.S.S.... Chesapeake were captured and taken to England where they were displayed as spoils of war. In 1818 the U.S.S. President was broken down by the Royal Navy. Her timber and fittings were scattered to the winds. The U.S.S. Chesapeake was also scrapped. However, she continued sail. Eventually she was scrapped at a yard in Gosport, England. Her live oak was used to rebuild a flour mill in Wickham, a town approximately eight miles from Portsmouth. Today her timbers are still there in the Chesapeake Mill.

The U.S.S. Congress was scrapped by the U.S. Navy in 1836.

The U.S.S. United States was burned and sunk in 1861 at the Norfolk Naval yard to prevent her from being captured by Confederate soldiers.

For more information and details on these and other ships check out your local library, staring at a computer screen is worse for your eyes than watching T.V.!!!

Works Cited

1. Gruppe, Henry E., The Seafarers. The Frigates, (Alexandria: Time Life Books, 1979), 11.

2. Gruppe, Henry E., The Seafarers. The Frigates, (Alexandria: Time Life Books, 1979), 164.

Comments, suggestions, information you would like to see on this page, E-Mail me, Debbie Davis

This page has been visited times since October 4, 1999.

This page was created by Debbie Davis. Information contained in this page is true to the best of my knowledge. However, I encourage anyone who is looking for more information or is just interested in Naval History to go to their local library where you will find a plethora of information. This page was last updated on January 02, 2004 20:39.