Old Ironsides Triumphs: USS Constitution Defies Britain
The USS Constitution earned her nickname "Old Ironsides" on August 19, 1812, when she engaged the British frigate HMS Guerriere roughly 400 miles southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. British cannonballs bounced off the Constitution's 21-inch-thick oak hull, prompting an American sailor to shout "Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!" Captain Isaac Hull maneuvered within close range and delivered devastating broadsides that dismasted the Guerriere in under thirty minutes. The British ship was so badly damaged she had to be sunk. The victory was a massive morale boost for the young American navy, which had been expected to lose every engagement against the Royal Navy, the most powerful fleet in the world.
August 19, 1812
214 years ago
Key Figures & Places
United States
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Royal Navy
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Canada
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War of 1812
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Nova Scotia
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USS Constitution
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frigate
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HMS Guerriere (1806)
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Old Ironsides
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defeats
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War of 1812
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USS Constitution
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USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere
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HMS Guerriere (1806)
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Nova Scotia
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