# 4703 - 2012 First-Class Forever Stamp - The War of 1812: USS Constitution
U.S. #4703
2012 45¢ USS Constitution
War of 1812
Another Victory For Old Ironsides
Named for the document that established our nation’s laws, the USS Constitution was built in a Boston shipyard between 1794 and 1797. Its massive 204-foot-long oak hull was made from trees from Massachusetts, Maine, and Georgia. The Constitution was launched on October 21, 1797.
Later that year, the Constitution was sent to patrol the South Atlantic, where the British had considerable trade. Commodore William Bainbridge’s mission was to torment the British and draw their stronger forces away from the US coast.
This battle marked the third time in as many months that a British warship was captured by the United States. In response, the British Admiralty ordered its frigates not to engage the larger American ships one-on-one.
U.S. #4703
2012 45¢ USS Constitution
War of 1812
Another Victory For Old Ironsides
Named for the document that established our nation’s laws, the USS Constitution was built in a Boston shipyard between 1794 and 1797. Its massive 204-foot-long oak hull was made from trees from Massachusetts, Maine, and Georgia. The Constitution was launched on October 21, 1797.
Later that year, the Constitution was sent to patrol the South Atlantic, where the British had considerable trade. Commodore William Bainbridge’s mission was to torment the British and draw their stronger forces away from the US coast.
This battle marked the third time in as many months that a British warship was captured by the United States. In response, the British Admiralty ordered its frigates not to engage the larger American ships one-on-one.