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Old Ironsides: The USS Constitution and the Start of the U.S. Navy

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Old Ironsides: The USS Constitution and the Start of the U.S. Navy

After the costly Revolutionary War, the young United States was unable to afford to maintain a Continental Navy and disbanded its fleet. Yet, a brief 11 years later, the threat of Barbary pirates off the coast of North Africa sparked the Naval Act of 1794, authorizing the construction of six frigates to protect American merchants in the Mediterranean. Among this humble fleet was the USS Constitution, a heavy frigate that would go on to fight the British during the War of 1812. Designed by nav...

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