I am sitting watching the third night of the virtual Democratic National Convention thinking that today’s #stampoftheday, which marks a critical early 19th century naval battle fought by the USS Constitution, is a reminder that today we have to fight for the U.S. Constitution.
A 3-cent stamp issued in 1947, the stamp pictures an architect’s line drawing of the ship (which also famously known as “Old Ironsides”). The ship is surrounded by 16 stars representing the 16 states in the Union in 1797, the year it was first launched. Made from sturdy oak trees, the ship protected American merchant shipping during the Quasi-War with France, an undeclared naval war fought in the Caribbean and off the Atlantic Coast from 1798 to 1800. In 1803, protected by new sheathing made from copper supplied by Paul Revere, the ship played a major role in defeating Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War.
When the War of 1812 began, the Constitution, which was fitted with 44 guns, sailed out of Chesapeake Bay with Captain Isaac Hull commanding, heading north to join Commodore John Rodgers’ squadron in the North Atlantic. Hull avoided capture off the coast of New Jersey, sailed to Boston to replenish the ship’s supply of drinking water, and then headed northeast. On August 19, 1812, the Constitution spotted the British frigate Guerriere off the coast of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Guerriere opened fire upon entering range of Constitution, but many of the British shots had rebounded harmlessly off Constitution’s hull. An American sailor reportedly exclaimed “Huzzah! her sides are made of iron!” – a story that led to people calling the ship “Old Ironsides.”
After a few exchanges of cannon fire between the ships, Captain Hull maneuvered Constitution into an advantageous position within 25 yards of Guerriere. He then ordered a full double-loaded broadside of grape and round shot which took out Guerriere’s mizzenmast, which made it hard for that ship to maneuver. The Guerriere collided with Constitution, entangling her bowsprit in Constitution’s mizzen rigging. This left only Guerriere’s bow guns capable of effective fire. Hull’s cabin caught fire from the shots, but it was quickly extinguished. With the ships locked together, both captains ordered boarding parties into action, but the sea was heavy and neither party was able to board the opposing ship.
When the two ships finally pulled apart, the force of the bowsprit’s extraction sent shock waves through Guerriere’s rigging. The boat’s foremast collapsed; soon after its mainmast collapsed as well. Realizing his ship was now unmanageable and recognizing that close to a third of his crew was wounded or killed, the Guerriere’s captain surrendered. After transferring the British prisoners onto Constitution, Hull ordered his crew to burn the Guerriere. The Constitution arrived back in Boston on August 30, where Hull and his crew found that news of their victory had spread fast, and they were hailed as heroes
The Constitution continued to serve as flagship in the Mediterranean and African squadrons, and circled the world in the 1840s. During the American Civil War, it served as a training ship for the United States Naval Academy and it carried American artwork and industrial displays to the Paris Exposition of 1878. The Constitution was retired from active service in 1881 and served as a receiving ship until being designated a museum ship in 1907. In 1934, the ship completed a three-year, 90-port tour of the nation. The Constitution, which is based in Boston, sailed under its own power for its 200th birthday in 1997, and again in August 2012 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the victory over Guerriere.
As I was finishing this post, former President Barack Obama was speaking from the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, standing in front of a display about the U.S. Constitution. More than I expected, his remarks also touched on the power of – and threats to – the US Constitution. Obama’s speech was so powerful that I am going to quote some of it at length.
“I’m in Philadelphia, where our Constitution was drafted and signed,” he said just after he began. “It wasn’t a perfect document. It allowed for the inhumanity of slavery and failed to guarantee women – and even men who didn’t own property – the right to participate in the political process. But embedded in this document was a North Star that would guide future generations; a system of representative government – a democracy – through which we could better realize our highest ideals. Through civil war and bitter struggles, we improved this Constitution to include the voices of those who’d once been left out. And gradually, we made this country more just, more equal, and more free.”
He went on to say that we should “expect a president to be the custodian of this democracy. We should expect that regardless of ego, ambition, or political beliefs, the president will preserve, protect, and defend the freedoms and ideals that so many Americans marched for and went to jail for; fought for and died for.” After contending that Donald Trump has failed this test and arguing that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris would pass it, he pivoted to a clarion call for action beyond the election, particularly on the part of young people, saying: “I am also asking you to believe in your own ability – to embrace your own responsibility as citizens – to make sure that the basic tenets of our democracy endure. Because that’s what at stake right now. Our democracy.” And, he went on to urge them to: “Do what Americans have done for over two centuries when faced with even tougher times than this – all those quiet heroes who found the courage to keep marching, keep pushing in the face of hardship and injustice….You can give our democracy new meaning. You can take it to a better place. You’re the missing ingredient – the ones who will decide whether or not America becomes the country that fully lives up to its creed.”
In short, just as the USS Constitution fought to defend the nation, we are at a critical moment when the nation has to fight to preserve (and improve) the U.S. Constitution.
Be well, stay safe, fight for justice and work for peace.