CONSTELLATION

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Story

The last all-sail warship built by the US Navy, USS Constellation served her country for nearly 100 years in both military and non-military roles. From 1859-1861, she was the flagship of the US African Squadron charged with the mission of intercepting vessels engaged in the illegal slave trade along the coast of West Africa. During the Civil War, Constellation saw duty in the Mediterranean Sea protecting American interests, and later was reassigned to the US as part of the Gulf Coast Blockading Squadron. During her later years, she sailed as a training ship for the US Naval Academy and then as a stationary training ship at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. She was last under sail in 1893. Her final role as a commissioned vessel came during World War II when she served as flagship of the US Atlantic Fleet. In 1955, Constellation was brought to Baltimore to be preserved as a national shrine. The ship underwent a massive restoration (1996-1999) to return her to her original 1854 configuration. She is now open for public tours, offering a wide array of living history and educational programs.

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