Constitution’s orlop deck, three levels down in the ship, held all the food, water and supplies. To learn where everything was stored, use a plan of Constitution’s orlop deck to color and fit together a puzzle.
Find out why the bottom of USS Constitution is covered in copper and discuss the merits of copper versus wood in ship design.
USS Constitution became a patriotic symbol after its victories during the War of 1812. Images of the Ship, like this detailed engraving, were popular among the public in the country at the time. This engraving is especially notable for the accurate depiction of the rigging and sails.
This painting, completed about 1803, is the earliest known depiction of USS Constitution. With nearly all of its sails set, the Ship is especially impressive in this portrayal. Look closely and you’ll spot the Ship’s original Hercules figurehead on the bow! Over 200 years later in 2012, the United States
This depiction of “Old Ironsides” in its glory was created in the 1920s when the Ship was in desperate need of repairs. Over 1 million prints of the original oil painting were sold to raise money for the Ship’s restoration.
There have been numerous restorations of USS Constitution throughout her history. Read about some of these efforts to maintain America’s Ship of State in this blog article.
The “engine” of a ship like USS Constitution is the complex and vast network of rigging and sails above the top deck. This article explains what it takes to sail the Ship and some of the materials that have been used over the years to do so.
USS Constitution has undergone many restorations throughout the Ship’s history. Sometimes, these reveal secrets and marks left by restoration workers. Three of these hidden treasures are revealed in this blog article.
Choosing a ship’s figurehead is a big decision–it serves as a symbol for the vessel. Learn about the different figureheads and symbols that have adorned USS Constitution’s bow throughout history.
Enslaved workers in coastal Georgia harvested the live oak wood that makes up the hull of USS Constitution.
A lesson in “if at first you don’t succeed, try again:” it took USS Constitution three tries to be launched into Boston Harbor in 1797.
From the timber needed for repairs, to navigational instruments, to the fuel that lit an officer’s cabin, this article describes all of the material culture–the stuff–needed to outfit a warship like USS Constitution.
Where is the iron in “Old Ironsides”? In this episode, learn all about the design and construction of USS Constitution. A Sailor’s Life, Live! was a virtual series produced in 2020.
Builder 1st Class Hilary Lemelin, assigned to USS Constitution, takes us behind the scenes of USS Constitution’s woodworking repair shop in the Charlestown Navy Yard. In this repair shop, U.S. Navy builders craft handmade souvenirs, signs, awards, and even a replica ship’s wheel for the Pentagon, using materials removed from
In this video are key highlights from the James Sever Collection, a rare and meaningful assemblage of materials related to the construction, launch, original outfitting, and initial manning of the United States Navy’s original six frigates.
Builder 1st Class Hilary Lemelin, assigned to USS Constitution, talks about what it was like building two desks for the Vice President of the United States and the Secretary of the Navy. The desks were built using materials from USS Constitution and other historic U.S. Navy ships.
See USS Constitution under sail in Boston Harbor on August 19, 2012 to commemorate the anniversary of 200 years of peace between the United States and Great Britain, and the United States and Canada, since the War of 1812. Video courtesy of Defense Media Activity (DMA).
The cooper was one of the skilled sailors on board USS Constitution: he knew how to make and repair barrels. This was important because barrels held most of the crew’s food and water. In this lesson, learn about the cooper and the other tradesmen on the Ship, and make a
The lowest part of the Ship that held all the supplies was called the hold. In this math lesson, students use the dimensions of Constitution’s hold to calculate volume.
Follow step-by-step directions to create a paper boat that floats in water.
Using household materials, build a tin foil boat that can carry as much cargo as possible.
Go behind-the-scenes to look at the keel underneath the ship. This video was filmed when USS Constitution was in dry dock from 2015 – 2017 undergoing restoration in the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston.
This short film highlights an axe that was purportedly owned by Jacob Sibley, a well-established carpenter who worked on the construction of USS Constitution, and how those axes were made in the late 18th century.
An animated short of USS Constitution’s construction and subsequent launch into Boston Harbor on October 21, 1797 after two failed launch attempts. Illustrations by Stephen Biesty and animation by Anna Lindemann.
Built for speed and flexibility, USS Cassin Young fought in seven World War II battles and survived two Kamikaze hits. Today, she can be viewed in the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, MA or enjoyed in LEGO® form with step-by-step directions created by the USS Constitution Museum. For written directions
The early United States Navy, with its inexperienced captains and crew, was off to a shaky start in the late 1790s. In this video, USS Constitution Museum Public Historian Carl Herzog describes the Navy’s first years, from patrolling the American coastline, to seizing enemy vessels, to establishing squadrons to protect
USS Constitution Museum Public Historian Carl Herzog discusses the factors leading up to the Quasi-War with France (1798 to 1800), the United States’ first international naval conflict abroad.
USS Constitution Museum Public Historian Carl Herzog takes viewers on a voyage through the founding of the United States Navy, from the dismantling of the Continental Navy at the end of the American Revolution to the controversial decision to establish a permanent standing military in the young United States. This
USS Constitution Museum Public Historian Carl Herzog takes viewers on a voyage through the history of the construction and launch of USS Constitution, one of the U.S. Navy’s original six frigates. This video has been made possible with support from the Boston Marine Society.
Launched in 1797, USS Constitution was one of the original six ships of the United States Navy. Today, she can be viewed in the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, MA or enjoyed in LEGO® form with step-by-step directions created by the USS Constitution Museum. For written directions and a list
This list itemizes the arms and armament ordered to be transported to Boston to outfit USS Constitution around the time of its launch. USS Constitution carried a hefty load of weapons to support her crew of 450-500 men during battle.
USS Constitution was built as a fighting machine and the crew used the six simple machines of science to accomplish the work required. Thinking like designers and engineers, students will identify and manipulate these machines to create inventions that would have made life aboard the Ship easier for the crew.
The U.S. Navy has an entire forest of white oak trees needed to repair USS Constitution in Crane, Indiana. Read about how this forest was established and how the trees are harvested during ship restorations in this blog article.
Snakes, eagles, and narwhals, oh my! If you could design a figurehead for a ship, what would you choose? Follow our tips and tricks to make your own mini figurehead at home. This video has been made possible by a Sustaining the Humanities through the American Rescue Plan (#SHARP) grant
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