Today in History - October 21, 1797 - USS Constitution Launched

Today in History - October 21, 1797 - USS Constitution Launched

The USS Constitution, a 44-gun U.S. Navy frigate built to fight Barbary pirates off the coast of Tripoli, is launched in Boston Harbor. The vessel performed commendably during the Barbary conflicts, and in 1805 a peace treaty with Tripoli was signed on theConstitution's deck.

During the War of 1812, the Constitution won its enduring nickname "Old Ironsides" after defeating the British warship Guerriére in a furious engagement off the coast of Nova Scotia. Witnesses claimed that the British shots merely bounced off the Constitution's sides, as if the ship were made of iron rather than wood. The success of the Constitutionagainst the supposedly invincible Royal Navy provided a tremendous morale boost for the young American republic.

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