Old Ironsides Poem Ay tear her tattered ensign

Old Ironsides Poem Ay, tear her tattered ensign down! Long has it waved on high, And many an eye has danced to see That banner in the sky; Beneath it rung the battle shout, And burst the cannon’s roar; — The meteor of the ocean air Shall sweep the clouds no more. Ø Her deck, once red with heroes’ blood, Where knelt the vanquished foe, When winds were hurrying o’er the flood, And waves were white below, No more shall feel the victor’s tread, Or know the conquered knee; — The harpies of the shore shall pluck The eagle of the sea! Ø Oh, better that her shattered hulk Should sink beneath the wave; Her thunders shook the mighty deep, And there should be her grave; Nail to the mast her holy flag, Set every threadbare sail, And give her to the god of storms, The lightning and the gale! Ø

“Old Ironsides” § The Constitution— were called “Old Ironsides” because cannonballs did not pierce the tough oak sides. The Constitution was one of the first of the 6 frigates that made up the U. S. Navy. The ship could carry up to 450 crew members. War of 1812, the Constitution won battles with British frigates Guerriere and Java. The ship was scheduled to be scrapped in 1830, but Oliver Wendell Holm’s poem “Old Ironsides” inspired a public movement to save it.

Ironsides measurements • • • Weight: 2, 200 tons Length: 204 feet Beam: 43. 5 feet Depth: 14. 3 feet Complement: 450 officers Armament: • 32 × 24 pounder (11 kg) long guns 20 × 32 pounder (15 kg) carronades 2 × 24 pounder (11 kg) bow chasers

U. S. S Constitution Stamps

Notes/Video n n n n http: //video. yahoo. com/watch/1185408/42232 99 The ship was made at Edmond Hartt Shipyard The Constitution won battles with the British Frigates in the War of 1812. The Constitution was restored by the year 1925. The Constitution was the oldest commissioned vessel in the US Navy. The Constitution’s last combat tour was from 1814 to 1815. What does “tear her tattered ensign down!” mean? -- (take down the Symbol , Flag)

Questions Ø Ø Ø How many tons did the ship weigh? What war did the Constitution win battles with the British Frigates? When was the ship restored? What was the oldest commissioned vessel in the US Navy? What was the Constitution’s last combat tour? What does “tear her tattered ensign down!” mean?