USS Constitution - 1797

The USS Constitution (1797) was a 52 gun frigate. According to the American Constitution, the first legal provision for the creation of a national navy was the Act of March 27,  1794. This Act provided for the building of six frigates to control the Arab pirates who were causing much damage to American trade. President Washington referred the matter to the War secretary, General Knox, who commissioned Joshua Humphreys, a renowned shipbuilder, to prepare the plans. The USS Constitution was built between 1794 and 1797 at Hartt's naval shipyard in Boston and launched on October 21, 1797. After brilliant performances against French corsairs in the Caribbean Sea under the command of Samuel Nicholson, the USS Constitution captured the British ship Guerriere in less than half an hour. On  December 29, 1797, under the command of Captain Bainbridge, she sunk the JAVA, then captured many small British units. 

In 1925, the American Congress decided to restore completely the USS Constitution which had been nicknamed Old Ironsides after her exploits in the War of Independence. She may now be admired in her permanent home at the Boston Naval Shipyard.