The Constitution is an old ship. It was a wooden frigate built during the early years of the United States to protect American merchants at sea and fight against pirates, under orders from the then U.S. Government. Its name was personally given by the first U.S. President, George Washington, to commemorate the adoption of the United States Constitution in 1789.
In 1797, the Constitution was completed in Boston. Its construction required timber from 1,500 trees, stretching from Maine to Georgia, and its cannons were cast in Rhode Island.
Because the materials for its construction came from various parts of the United States at the time, and its purpose was to safeguard America's maritime interests, the Constitution came to be seen as a symbol of the nation's resilience, courage, and freedom.
