why was uss constitution called old ironsides
USS CONSTITUTION. The Constitution--called Old Ironsides because cannonballs could not penetrate her tough oak sides--was one of the first of the original six frigates that made up the U.S. Navy. A 44-gun frigate built at the Edmond Hartt Shipyard, Boston, MA, in 1797.
USS Constitution. Launched in Boston in 1797, the oldest commissioned warship afloat earned her nickname Old Ironsides during the War of 1812 when she fought the British frigate HMS Guerriere. During this historic battle, cannonballs fired at USS Constitution appeared to bounce off, causing one of her crew to remark that her sides were made of iron.