Sean Patrick Rogers

USS Constitution Museum

October 16, 2016
Jennifer Zanolli, Manager of Interpretation and Visitor Services
&
Jodie Smith, Manger of Academic Programs
 In the War of 1812, the United States’ adolescent navy sparred against the greatest naval

power in the world, Great Britain. One ship, the USS Constitution, earned itself the nickname

“Old Ironsides” after winning an unprecedented string of victories against five British warships.

Although the ship’s heroic legacy was cemented in the United States’ history forever, the ship

itself faced numerous troubles following it’s triumphant service in war. Almost scrapped and

used for target practice, the ship was only saved due to immense public support and funding that

prompted the government to recognize the ship as a historic site. In 1976, funding helped create

the USS Constitution Museum that resides next to the ship itself in Building #22 within the

Charleston Navy Yard in Boston, Massachusetts. As the USS Constitution gets restored and

maintained in dock feet away, the museum offers visitors a space to learn about the ship’s past

and interact with America’s naval history in a unique and engaging way. Today, the USS

Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship in the world and both the ship and the museum

continue to be essential historic sites on Boston’s Freedom Trail.

Those looking to visit the USS Constitution Museum will find a plethora of resources that

will make for an engaging learning experience. The museum’s website offers programs that are

educational to all ages. For younger visitors, “A Sailor’s Life for Me!” gives viewers a virtual

experience where they can simulate what life was like for a sailor aboard the USS Constitution.

“All Hands On Deck” is an online curriculum that acts as an educational tool for grades K-12.1

This resource provides teachers and students with pre-visit activities, sample lessons, as well as

educational videos. The website’s resources also include online exhibits as well as displays of

various artifacts from the ship. At the navy yard, visitors have the option of either visiting the

ship or the museum first. Standing aboard the ship, visitors can explore the decks and cabins of

this artifact. The vessel does not have any exhibits or descriptive displays onboard but the ship’s

1 Attached is a small handout provided by the museum that advertises “A Sailor’s Life for Me!” Also attached is the
group program brochure that discusses both “A Sailor’s Life for Me!” as well as “All Hands on Deck.” This
includes the programs’ URL that gives teachers access to “over 120 lessons, activities, and primary sources.”
staff and crew are more than willing to answer any questions that visitors have. To experience

the full educational resources that the site has to offer, visitors must experience the exhibits and

displays of the USS Constitution Museum. The museum offers visitors interactive displays to

connect with history and experience what life was like for a member of the Navy during the

ship’s service. The walls of the museums are lined with incased artifacts on display for visitors to

analyze. Virtual games, immersive theaters, and interactive displays such as a dress-up area and

a bunking area allow visitors to experience the history of the USS Constitution in an engaging

manner. The museum staff help coordinate scavenger hunt activities as well as run hands-on

booths where visitors can learn how to tie knots and accomplish other common naval tasks.2

This historic site aims to represent a prideful history of the American Navy’s humble

beginning. By walking around the historic vessel and exploring the ship’s past through the

museum’s activities and exhibits, this site hopes to conjure up patriotic fervor and national pride

from the visitors. Despite the goal of memorializing the USS Constitution and its victorious

deeds, this site does a great job of not whitewashing the history behind the ship. Slavery,

alcoholism, corruption, and familial tensions are all addressed in this representation of the past.

By focusing on a variety of perspectives, this museum carefully avoids promoting ideas of

American exceptionalism. In the newest exhibit, “Forest to Frigate,” the story of the ship’s

creation is displayed. This exhibit, which highlights genius of the frigate’s design, displays the

perspectives of African American slaves who were used to cultivate the live oak. The cruel

treatment and conditions these slaves faced during their labor is not omitted from the museum’s

history which attempts to memorialize the ship. Even in the exhibit discussing the War of 1812,

the museum shows the Constitution’s actions without making it the hero of a victorious tale. The

exhibit asks students the difficult question of who won the War of 1812. Visitors can then

2 See the Group Program Brochure for a full list of activities available at the site. The brochure discusses the
recommended ages for activities, the duration of the activity, the price per student, and the recommended quantity of
students to participate in the activity. The brochure makes clear that some activities such as “War of 1812- Why
Fight?” caters more towards AP students who are ready to be challenged in a simulated congressional debate.
explore the exhibit and analyze British, Canadian, and American perspectives all claiming

victory over this conflict. By showing multiple perspectives, even those that are unflattering to

the ships legacy, the museum is able to create an environment where students can investigate the

past and instead of consuming it. Many exhibits promote inquiry-based learning by asking

visitors difficult questions and resisting easy answers. Prompted by these questions, visitors can

explore multiple perspectives, investigate the past through activities, and simulate historic

dilemmas. This inquiry-based learning allows students to investigate the USS Constitution’s

history and come to their own conclusion on controversial events in America’s history.

Social Studies teachers have much to benefit from bringing their classes to this historic

site. Hands on activities, interactive exhibits, and inquiry-based learning allow students to learn

about not just the military history of the USS Constitution but also the social, economic, and

political affects that maritime activities had on American culture. The museum staff has a variety

of programs designed for classroom field trips of all ages. Students are challenged to think about

America’s beginning as well as it’s relationship to the sea through a series of scavenger hunt

activities, visual thinking workshops that encourage interpretation of art and artifacts, and guided

tours that the staff coordinate with schools. At this site, students can develop their historical

understanding by seeing multiple and conflicting perspectives, evaluating and interpreting

artifacts from the past, and witnessing history actively being restored and preserved. The USS

Constitution Museum is an essential site for any social studies class looking to interact and

interpret America’s history in an engaging way. This site on Boston’s Freedom Trail will leave

visitors of all ages wondering more about America’s naval past and the importance of the sea. 3

3 See the attached Freedom Trail brochure for more information regarding activities on the Freedom Trail. This
resource allows teachers to learn more about the educational opportunities available. The labeled map allows
teachers to see which sites are handicap accessible if that needs to be considered. For example, the USS Constitution
Museum is handicap accessible but the USS Constitution itself is not.
 Appendix

This display entitled “Voices from the Waterfront” shows the various perspectives of people
living on the American coast during the War of 1812. Captions accompanied by portraits
describe the situations of not only members of the Navy but also First Lady Dolley Madison and
a Native American chief. This museum shows American history through a variety of
perspectives, even when the perspective shows the USS Constitution or America in a negative
light.

This display challenges visitors to draw their own ship plan. Visitors are prompted with the
question of “How Do You Draw a Ship?” Seeing models of various types of ships, visitors have
the opportunity to construct their own ship’s design and simulate the difficult job that
draughtsman like Josiah Fox had. The museum has many activities like this where visitors are
prompted with an intriguing question and are challenged to complete a hand-on activity to
answer the question.
This activity allows visitors to learn how difficult using a cannon was. In order to fire the
cannon, one must go through the multistep process of preparing a cannon shot. Through this
activity, visitors interact with the display to swab, load, ram, pour, and finally fire the cannon.
Visitors also learn about the different types of cannon balls such as single shot and chain shot
cannonballs. Displays like this balance entertainment and education very well.

In the “Forest to Frigate exhibit,” visitors can interact with friendly museum staff that run
booths. Each booth focuses on a different aspect of the ships creation. In the booth shown above,
a visitor learns about the process of rope making from a staff member. This representative photo
shows how helpful and engaging the staff is throughout the museum.
This display promotes the idea of inquiry-based learning. Asking the visitor a difficult question,
the museum puts the visitor in the shoes of a naval officer facing a dilemma. The display has
visitors consider factors affecting the dilemma and then allows visitors to choose from three
scenarios. By lifting each scenario cover, visitors can see the consequences of their choice.

Visitors can simulate the daily chores of a sailor. In this activity, visitors can experience the
difficult task of getting livestock aboard the ship. Using the ropes, visitors struggle to haul the
goat aboard. The second floor of this museum has many of these activities that allow visitors to
simulate tasks that sailors had to do.
The USS Constitution is in dock right outside of the museum. Visitors can walk aboard and
explore the decks and cabins of this centuries old frigate that saw battle against French, Barbary,
and British forces during its service. This representative photo shows those unfamiliar with the
ship how massive this artifact is.

This artifact receives maintenance while in dry dock outside of the museum. Visitors get to
watch a piece of history get preserved in the present day. Watching the repairs of this immense
vessel allows visitors to appreciate those who built the frigate in the late eighteenth century.
The “Forest to Frigate” exhibit clearly shows the perspective of African American slaves who
were used to cultivate the live oak needed for the USS Constitution’s construction. The
inhumane treatment of the slaves is addressed instead of being whitewashed in an attempt to
memorialize the ship. The museum explicitly shows slaves perspectives as well as how
dangerous this job was. Many died from sickness while retrieving this wood in Georgia.

The museum shows the perspectives of women and children who were left at home when the
men of the household left for their tour of service. Each member of the Navy did a two-year tour
out at sea which meant that that mothers had to find ways to support their family financially. By
showing this perspective, the museum shows how the Navy created familial tensions that
changed the dynamic of the household. Instead of just showing service in the Navy as a heroic
job, the museum shows perspectives that make visitors evaluate the occupation of being a sailor
and question whether or not a sailor’s life is really for them.