Words of Wisdom from SharLeigh
212 YEARS OF SERVICE
& STILL COUNTING
Looking to protect our shores and our ships from pirates, President George Washington asked for six frigates (ships) to be built. Since the United States did not have a Navy, our merchant ships were defenseless against pirates, especially on the Barbary Coast of Northern Africa. Congress obliged and ordered six heavily-armed ships to be built under the Naval Act of 1794. The first ship was the USS Constitution, which was built at a cost of $300,000. The Constitution’s copper spikes, bolts and sheathing were forged by Paul Revere (the same man that rode through the countryside shouting “the British are coming” in 1776). The Constitution was christened in 1797 and made her maiden voyage in 1798. Her first duty was to attack the Barbary Coast pirates. The Constitution headed an aggressive campaign, laying siege against Tripoli and blockading the port. During the War of 1812 against Great Britain, she captured numerous merchant ships and defeated five British warships. In one of these battles, the HMS Guerriere began to fire on the Constitution and, amazingly, the cannon balls bounced off her sides! The battle lasted only 20 minutes, leaving the British ship in ruins. Afterwards, the British sailors declared that the American ship was made of iron and called it “Old Ironsides” - a nickname that stuck. Over the years, public adoration has repeatedly saved Old Ironsides from being scrapped. The ship was restored in 1925, and in 1941 was declared to be a permanently commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy. In 1997, she set sail under her own power to celebrate her 200th birthday! Nowadays, the oldest American shipyard, the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, is where she lays anchor. If you are ever in Boston, be sure to give her a visit. Today, she is the oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat in the world - and worth every penny our forefathers spent to build her!