USF Constellation at Baltimore Inner Harbor

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#6699CC" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B><U>U. S. S. CONSTELLATION AT BALTIMORE INNER HARBOR</U></B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#660000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id51.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="John W. Brown Docking at Clinton Street"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id68.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Foot of Broadway Fells Point 1977"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" 16 x 20 Pen Ink"><U><B><IMG SRC="00d0d1d0.gif" border=0 width="13" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> <A HREF="id6.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" 16 x 20 Pen Ink"><U><B>Return to 16" x 20" pen and ink page</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#EEEEEE" TEXT="#080000"> <div>   <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" >  </FONT>           </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>On March 27, 1794, Congress authorized the construction of six frigates; three 44 gun ships (one of which was the </B><B>Constitution</B><B> now at the Boston Naval yard), and three 36 gun frigates.  The 36 gun frigates to be built were the </B><B>Constellation</B><B> to be build at Baltimore, the </B><B>Congress</B><B> to be built at Portsmouth, New hampshire, and the </B><B>United States</B><B> to be built at Philadelphia.  The </B><B>U.S.F. Constellation</B><B> was built at the Stodder shipyard at Fell's Point, Maryland between 794 and 1797.  She was launched September 7, 1797, and was Commissioner on June 26, 1798.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Although blockaded in the Chesapeake Bay by the British during the War of 1812, the </B><B>Constellation</B><B> had seen considerable  action under Captain Thomas Truxton during the quasi war with France.  Her most famous action was the defeat of the French Frigate </B><B>L'Insurgent</B><B> in a late afternoon battle on February 9, 1799.  One year later the Constellation won the nation's second victory over the French fleet with her defeat of </B><B>La Vengeance</B><B>.  These early engagements under Captain Truxton earned her the nickname "Yankee Race Horse".  Captain Truxton personally attributed her speed to Stodder's introduction of sharp bow lines into warship design, a characteristic that was to become the hallmark of the famous Baltimore Clippers during the first half of the 19th century.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>The </B><B>Constellation</B><B> in Baltimore today is not the "original" </B><B>Constellation</B><B>.  In 1854 the Navy constructed a new ship, a Sloop of War, which was Christened </B><B>Constellation</B><B> to carry on the heritage of this famous name.  As many historic buildings disappear behind modern highrise architecture, the </B><B>Constellation</B><B> remains  a symbol of the National heritage at her dock in Baltimore Inner harbor, less than two miles from where  the "original" </B><B>Constellation</B><B> was built in 1797.</B></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>