America's Super Frigate That Outran Britain's Royal Navy

Everyone knows her as "Old Ironsides" — America's unbeatable warship. But most Americans don't know why she was so successful. Nor do they recognize her commanding officer, Captain Isaac Hull. The USS Constitution's battles in the War of 1812 were not the start of a storied career, it was the culmination of fifteen years of important but overlooked campaigns that tested her unique engineering. In this episode of Retracing History, we combine period illustrations with present-day images from onboard to bring back to life the early days of America's Ship of State. We explore the motivation as to why a young federal government financed the construction of super frigates. Then, you will learn about the forgotten wars that the USS Constitution participated in: The Quasi-War with France and the Barbary Wars in the Mediterranean. These events overlooked by Americans of today provided the experience men like Captain Hull needed to challenge Britain's Royal Navy in the War of 1812. After being chased for several days by an enemy squadron, Hull sailed back out to engage one of his pursuers. Using eyewitness accounts, action reports, and a deck-by-deck exploration of the ship, we bring to life the battle that made "Old Ironsides" America's first naval legend. --- 📍 USS Constitution is berthed at the Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, Massachusetts and is open to the public. --- Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 01:06 - Naval Act Of 1794: Why America Needed A New Navy 03:03 - Building Old Ironsides 05:48 - The Ship's Hold | Touring USS Constitution 07:40 - Orlop Deck | Touring USS Constitution 08:08 - Berth Deck | Touring USS Constitution 08:46 - The Controversy Over The Constitution's Cannons 10:09 - The Captain's Cabin Onboard Old Ironsides 10:53 - Spar Deck & Fighting Tops | Touring USS Constitution 12:10 - What Makes Old Ironsides A 'Super' Frigate 13:17 - The Quasi-War: When The US Navy (Kind Of) Fought The French Navy 15:00 - USS Constitution Overlooked Role In The 1st Barbary War 17:11 - The Road To The Naval War Of 1812 18:23 - The Great Chase Of The USS Constitution 20:56 - Captain Hull Goes For Broke 21:48 - The Birth Of 'Old Ironsides': USS Constitution vs HMS Guerriere 28:36 - Isaac Hull: An American Hero 30:12 - The US Navy Becomes A Force To Be Reckoned With 32:44 - Conclusion --- Check Out The Incredible Website The USS Constitution Museum Has!: https://ussconstitutionmuseum.org/ Explore The USS Constitution With American Battlefield Trust:    • The World's Oldest Commissioned Warship (s...   Drachinifel's Tremendous Analysis Of The August 19, 1812 Battle:    • Frigate Duels of the War of 1812 - USS Con...   --- 🎬 New video every Saturday at 5 PM EST — Subscribe so you never miss one: ‪ @Redoubt_Productions 📚 Related episodes you may enjoy: "USS Olympia | Admiral Dewey's Legendary Flagship"    • USS Olympia | Admiral Dewey's Legendary Fl...   "The Genius Behind Perry's Lake Erie Fleet | War of 1812"    • The Genius Behind Perry's Lake Erie Fleet ...   "Barclay vs. Perry on Lake Erie | War of 1812"    • Perry's Close Victory: The Naval Battle Th...   Explore this channel's website: https://redoubtproductions1754.com/ Donate or Become a Member (Ko-Fi): https://ko-fi.com/redoubtproductions Three Cheers For The Garrison!: James Blake Kenneth D Wyman Robert Fryman Trippy Soul #warof1812 #americanhistory #usnavy #militaryhistory