Nicknamed “Old Ironsides,” the USS Constitution was the backbone of a new country’s navy in 1797. Filled with 30 24-pound cannons, the USS Constitution was ahead of its time.

The term "United States Ship" (USS) was used as early as the 1790s, around the same time the British Royal Navy began using HMS on their ships. By the late 1800s, the USS abbreviation was used ...