Magnificent ship.
For those really interested, there is a terrific book out which details the exploits of the ships of the fledgling American Navy in the War of 1812, including the U.S.S. Constitution. The American sailors went out in spite of incredible odds, just in sheer numbers alone, against the Royal Navy, and performed admirably.
A lot of detail in the book, but the author keeps you thoroughly engrossed. It’s an exciting story !!
1812 The Navy’s War
George C. Daughan
Published by Basic Books
The intelligent thing that the US Navy did was to concentrate on the Frigate class as their heaviest ships rather than trying to match the Royal Navy in a "Line of Battle" heavy. Frigates were faster, more maneuverable and needed fewer crew due to fewer guns. These were ships that could sail on their own or join into task groups, thus retaining greater flexibility in use. Thus the USS Constitution could fight ships slightly larger and down and outrun the ships that could really kill it.