We couldn’t visit Boston – even for a short day – without visiting the U.S.S. Constitution, the oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy. She was built in Boston, launched in 1797 and is still staffed and cared for by the Navy with sailors on board in period uniform answering questions about the vessel and her history.
The Constitution was a warship, evident above and below deck, still fitted with massive cannons. We were able to see how she gained her nickname “Old Ironsides” by the triple thickness of her oak timber hull, a vital defense in combat. She seemed impenetrable to enemy canon fire.
A Navy gunner’s mate explained the steps to loading and firing a canon, a time-consuming and dangerous endeavor. However, because U.S. troops drilled with the cannons they were able to load and fire more rapidly than their enemies, gaining a keen strategic advantage in battle.
Click here for more details about the Constitution and her history.
