Before the USS Constitution was the oldest commissioned warship still afloat, and even before it was nicknamed Old Ironsides it was a squadron flagship in our mostly forgotten "Quasi-War" with France at the end of the 18th century. Learn more about the construction and first cruises of the Constitution in the first installment of a series that pay tribute to her glory.

The design
Telling a story across geography and time on a static plane is difficult because it requires three dimensions - time, latitude, and longitude - when there are only two dimensions available. Read more