As an American and a veteran of the US Marine Corps, I am so proud that the USS Constitution has been restored to its full glory and Americans now have the bounty to view her and pay homage to her magnificent past and to the crews that manned her.
It had the same effect on me, and I am a Brit, but I have always believed in the spirit of the constitution of the US, probably the greatest declaration for the citizens of any country that has ever been made. We would all be living better lives today if our greedy, mendacious politicians would remember they work for the people and not for themselves. I had the privilege of visiting this wonderful ship back in 2018
One of the coolest things my boy scout troop ever did was visit the Charlestown naval yard in June 2016. We toured the USS Constitution while it was stored in drydock. We all got to do something which most people would never think of as being possible. They had given us permission to sleep 2 nights on the ship. My troop participated in many events while we were there. This was a ounce in a lifetime experience for my boy scout troop.
I saw her on the US Bicentennial tour. She was the unforgettable experience of my childhood. After watching this, I fully expext her to visit my dreams again tonight.
To me, the most awesome thing about the Constitution is that, although it is difficult to imagine a scenario where she would need to do it, the Constitution is still a warship, and could still sail into battle if called upon.
My thoughts exactly. I remember going on her several years ago when I was a toddler, and today I volunteer on the destroyer Cassin Young. At 8 every morning Constitution fires her guns. The fact she not only still goes out and is manned by the Navy, but could theoretically be called into combat if need-be 221 years later, after going 33-0 in her heyday, is nothing short of awe-inspiring. :D
I am a Medical Disabled Navy Vet. Served on Destroyers in the 60's. I was a Signalman a Seagoing rate. Spent 11yrs at Sea finally got shore duty in 72. Went to visit the USS Constitution, No Disrespect but She seemed so Tiny, and I thought my Destroyers were small. But then that was another time. I Rendered Honors to The Old Lady...❤
I got to tour her in 1969 as a young boy. What a ship! I went on to build several scale models of her that got larger and more detailed each time as I got older. I haven't built a model in decades but, if/when I do again, it will be the U.S.S. Constitution.
I really appreciate that the "commercials" are advertising other museum's of american history. Great video and of course, a truly great ship. (I know Brits that to this day are bitter about her kicking their butts)
I'll never forget the day I got to take a tour of this great ship! When I retired from the Navy Seabee's in 2006, I got a certified flag flown on her. What an honor!
My favorite part of this ship is that my father served onboard her for 4 years from 2014 to 2018 and she's just a beauty, but I think my favorite part was the museum because I was so young and there was so much to do, but I think the best part of the ship would be the very bottom or the captain's cabin.
Thats awesome! Great memories right? Did you grow up on her too? My old man is the ship's blacksmith "Sparky" in this video. He's been maintaining her now for 30 years.
I remember visiting the Constitution three years ago. a memorable experience. One slightly odd thing caught my attention were the guns. This is a ship built after the war of independence but some of her guns still carry the GR mark for George Rex. I had an interesting chat with one of the crew over this point and he did say that not many people noticed that, but as a Brit I could not miss it. A truly beautiful ship and the crew do keep her in wonderful condition.
The guns you describe are replica castings made during her refit in the 1920's, and made using an original Royal Navy canon loaned to the US Navy for this purpose.
I managed to see her undersail in 1997 in Marblehead even though it was far out I manage to see her through binoculars It gave me goose bumps to see this massive ship move through the water unfortunately it was too light a breeze to fill her sails but still it was AWSOME to see this massive ship and it’s stunning of all the stupid things our country has done to us this was something they did RIGHT this is our ship
I sailed on her during her shake-down cruise in Boston harbor a few weeks before she sailed to Marblehead back in '97. During her sail in the harbor she was healed over and reach a nice 7-knot clip. She REALLY sailed that day.
Such an emotional documetary and yet a very special and important one cause were it not for USS Constitution and all this mighty ship gave our young nation to preserve the liberty and freedoms we cherish today then the War of 1812 may have turned out with great difference, her service to our nation continues today and I look forward to stepping aboard her decks as a cannon blast signals victory and freedom just as it did over 225 years ago!
Well the war of 1812 finished as much as it started by 1815 Only the USS Constitution was at sea, the R/N still ruled the waves Canada was safe and you had a victory at New Orleans The R/N still reserved the right to stop and seize deserters [ Although I cannot recall them doing it after 1815] You had kept Louisiana the Brits kept Canada . You were broke which was why you signed the Treaty of Ghent . Britain was not interested in any forays with the USA They had control of Europe Lets face it, in 1815 you were a fledgling nation that gave the Brits a poke in the eye and that was it.
A very emotional and powerful video. This is a beautiful ship which represents America well. I have seen her twice, but I can't wait to return. May God bless America and the men and women who fight for our freedom!
...and a lot of sharpening constantly back then. I have to imagine there was a lot of skilled axe work as well. I'd love to know how many people shared in building, maintaining, rejuvenating, crewing... the number has to be staggering. How many kids grew up around her and joined the navy just in hopes of someday taking sail? I'm not sure how california coast live oak is different, but I know it's similar. It's wise to have multiple chainsaws on hand so the master can swap out whilst someone(s) else changes and/or sharpens blades. nowadays we can get rolls of blade but then... what an immense effort. And a bullet proofed vest way before they were invented! I'm surprised presidents don't insist on taking the oath of office aboard her.
@AK Floperator your muzzle velocities somewhere around 700 m per second, the old cannons were like 400 m/s, also your bullet spins and is pointed, it doesn't slow down as fast. also you probably shooting at 100 yards. By the time those ships were that close the battle would have already been decided (mostly). Also the the 4 inches was extra meat on the ship.
The oldest surviving naval ship in the world although not afloat is HMS Victory launched 7th May in 1765, Lord Nelson's flagship on which he was shot during the battle of Trafalgar on 21st October 1805.
The constitution was a well built well armed frigate that was designed to prey on merchantmen which she well ,but against the British ships of the line she would have had no chance as they carried three times as many guns and were just as well made as the were designed to stand and take a colossal amount of punishment in close battle. People do not know how few ships were sent to fight in the 1812 war as they were needed to fight Napoleon and I think that you will find we only sent 8 frigates to fight but were lost after a few battles as they were virtually on their own and outnumbered .But please tell me what was the name of the British ship of the line that was following her because we never had a large contingent of ships in American waters as I said that we were fighting Napoleon and so our heavy “ 100 gun first rate ships of the line “ were needed in Europe. I’m not knocking her and have no intention of doing so as like the “HMS victory” “ Cutty Sark” or “HMS Warrior and many others takes a lot of work by a lot of dedicated people.
@@alanwareham7391 The USN got two R/N Frigates the Java and Guerrere both 38 guns 2 French frigates 4 x Schooners 4 x Brigs 60 odd Merchant ships and whalers. In return the R/N defeated 2x Super Frigates the USS President and the USS Chesapeake 1 X Frigate USS Essex 1 x gun boat USS Essex Jnr and numerous merchant ships and blockaded the USS United States the USS Congress and the USS Constellation The USN did very well for two years however by late 1814 the R/N was unleashed and the US Government went off to Ghent to sign a treaty
@@Ace_Star_543 And what has it got you 1.12 years in Iraq you left and ISIL formed 2. 20 years in Afghanistan and you left after being beaten by IEDs and Utes 3. 20 years in Vietnam and left and the Communists took over Gee those trillions did not help. You are getting the reputation as easy beats the enemy just have to hang on for a few years and you go home . Contrast you with Britain 12 years in Malaya and won 5 years in Borneo and won The problem is my country Australia is bought and paid for by the USA and now we have to wear the rep you have .
@@jacktattis The first 3 wars, we won all major battles, the enemy were using gorilla tactics and in the case of Iraq and Afghanistan we beat there conventional military so hard, they devolved into an insurgency. No country in the world can fight an Insurgency, as well as the fact that in those conflicts they were disguised as civilians and were using traps that were banned for there brutality
Where is there a decent walk-through of this ship? I can't find one anywhere. I don't want to see a bunch of people talk into a camera. I want to see this inside of the ship! Damnit.
/watch?v=qZfjenOYywA "The six photographs show the famous ship the USS "Constitution" at the Boston Navy Yard, and being re-floated and taken out of dry dock, after the major restoration that was authorized by Congress in 1925."
@@jyshot The USS President was beaten by the HMS Endymion the USS Chesapeake BY HMS Shannon. The Congress Constellation and United States were laid up and under blockade However for two years they played merry hell against the R/N but by late 1814 The R/N was off the leash
My brother and I fight a lot on which ship is better and to me in the age of sail the greatest ships ever was produced 😊 I want to travel and see the HMS Victory, HMS Surprise and others as well and now the USS Constitution is on that list😁
Think surprise was broken up. You can still see many ships today. Trincomalee is still afloat also. I believe there is a reconstruction or surprise around somewhere.
It’s too bad we don’t write like the old sailers who sailed this ship. It’s also sad that we can’t make a ship that is as telling as this. The majesty Constitution has is unequaled in the last 60 years.
Not even a minute into it and I'm tripping because of the dream I had last night was I was on this ship all by myself and there was these ginormous waves and there's all these strange ships around me and the next thing I knew the winds and the waves carried me into shore parked it out right at a dock on the pier and as I'm tying the ropes up Archangel Michael appears in front of me and says are you securing the lines properly have you tighten the ropes correctly and then ironically my code name being changed from Ruby Jewel to Iron Will after all the countless attempts on my life and my will to live and see our nations freedom prevail.. and then I have this dream last night at this presicse moment in our history! yeah it's a pretty great day in the neighborhood family maybe Navy rules..Rule The Navy..Our God rules us all we have an iron will to assure our freedom shall prevail and best believe it will!>>>
To me, the procurement of the legendary southern live oak wood for the construction of this ship is really the best way this ship represents the United States. The navy had assembled a throng of expert woodcutters from New England to harvest the timber from the trees in coastal Georgia, but months later many had died of disease and deserted, with little progress made. The navy then turned to local slave labor to harvest the wood while compensating the slave owners. The eager enslavers were getting paid to clear the land for cotton fields, and the navy got the wood it needed. This fabled ship representing early American liberty, freedom, and exceptionalism; in part built with the uncredited labor of slaves. If that isn't an embodiment of American history, I don't know what is.
I respect every aspect of the military but I know damn well that dude in the beginning had had some hazing when he joined I would hate to have that last name this day and age lol bonner
OMG this video is long I think I can't I'm going to get this done in time will I hope so because I don't my grade will be bad and I will not pass and I want to go to high school so bad I will love it but I know It will be hard but I know I'm going to do good so I can go to Michigan one of the best school the school I want to go to when I get out of high school
Yes SHE was a good ship but to be great she never fought a ship of equal or superior firepower Unlike the HMS Shannon and the HMS Endymion both frigates DID defeat the USN super frigates and in 1815 the US was broke
In 1851, the USS Constitution was supposed to turn back slave ships to Africa. Turns out, it failed miserably. She was outnumbered 6-1 by slave ships and even the slaves didn't want to be returned to Africa where they would be killed. They were only spared from death by the payments made by Dutch slave buyers to conquering tribes and the agreements to take them away not to be returned. If the Constitution had been successful in turning back slave ships to Liberia, we wouldn't have a lot of the problems we have today.
I need more info of these problems because as it stands this comment sounds dumb, not to be rude. What would’ve happened if she succeeded in stopping the slave ships?
The flying heck do NAVY need CAMOUFLAGE for?!? What're you hiding from? Porpoises?! Worried the tuna are going to start speaking Cantonese in the middle of the night? Grow up America.
...hate to break it to you but ALL the worlds navies used camouflage schemes. In WWII The USN, Royal Navy, Italian Regina Marina, Kriegsmarine, Red Navy, and IJN used camo scheme systems, but the USN was more adept at their systems of camouflage at sea. Just like on land it is designed with fooling and interrupting the human mind's ability to discern patterns and disrupt the human eye's ability for detail. Similar to uniform patterns and ghillie suits.
It was more for WWI and II era when range and course plotting was mostly done by eye and optics. Having silly camo made it harder to determine the bearing and speed of a ship accurately. It wasn't to hide the ship but rather mask the length and angle of it more than anything.