Event record · naval
North Atlantic · Atlantic
Constitution defeats Guerriere
19 August 1812
The first spectacular American frigate victory creates the legend of “Old Ironsides.”
Participants
- USS Constitution
- HMS Guerriere
- Isaac Hull
- James Dacres
Outcome
Guerriere was dismasted, captured, and burned.
Why it matters
A limited frigate victory produced an outsized American morale effect without breaking the blockade.
Location evidence
41.700, -55.500 · regional precision
Coordinates locate the named site, city, or broad region; they do not reconstruct unit movements.
Where it sits in the story
This record belongs to a connected military, political, and human sequence. The chapter supplies causes, consequences, competing perspectives, and the limits of the surviving evidence.
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Evidence behind this event
- War of 1812Naval History and Heritage Command · naval history
Atlantic, lake, Chesapeake, and Pacific naval operations.