Isaac Hull
Isaac Hull was an accomplished American naval officer who began his maritime career at the young age of fourteen as a cabin boy on a merchant ship. He entered formal naval service in 1798 as a first lieutenant on the iconic USS Constitution, a ship that would become central to his legacy. Hull demonstrated his leadership abilities through successful commands in various military engagements, including operations in Santo Domingo and Tripoli, leading to his promotion to captain in 1806. He took command of the Constitution in 1810 and is particularly noted for his daring maneuvers during the War of 1812, where he famously outmaneuvered and defeated the British frigate Guerrière in a swift and decisive battle. Hull’s naval career continued to flourish as he served as a commodore, commanding a naval squadron in the Pacific from 1824 to 1827. His strategic skills and tactical proficiency played significant roles in early American naval history, marking him as an influential figure in the development of the U.S. Navy.
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Subject Terms
Isaac Hull
Armed Forces Personnel
- Born: March 9, 1773
- Birthplace: Derby, Connecticut
- Died: February 13, 1843
- Place of death: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Also known as: Commodore Hull
Born: March 9, 1773; Derby, Connecticut
Died: February 13, 1843; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Principal war: War of 1812
Principal battle: Gulf of St. Lawrence (1812)
Military significance: Hull, as commander of the USS Constitution, defeated the HMS Guerrière in 1812 in the first U.S. naval victory over a British frigate. As a result, the U.S. government increased its financial and its moral support for its navy, building more ships and promoting more aggressive naval campaigns.
Isaac Hull went to sea at age fourteen as a cabin boy on a merchant ship. He began his naval service on March 9, 1798, as a first lieutenant aboard the USS Constitution. After successful commands in Santo Domingo in 1800 and in Tripoli in 1804, he was promoted to captain on April 23, 1806.
Hull took command of the Constitution on June 17, 1810. In this vessel, he and his crew survived a sixty-six hour chase by a British squadron of five ships off the New Jersey coast from July 16 to 18, 1812. On August 19, 1812, the Constitution encountered the British frigate Guerrière near the Gulf of St. Lawrence. After skillfully maneuvering his ship, Hull strategically opened fire on the Guerrière at close range, leaving it incapacitated in thirty minutes.
Hull successfully served as a commodore, leading a naval squadron in the Pacific Ocean from 1824 to 1827.
Bibliography
Grant, Bruce. Isaac Hull, Captain of Old Ironsides: The Life and Fighting Times of Isaac Hull and the U.S. Frigate Constitution. Chicago: Pellegrini and Cudahy, 1947.
Maloney, Linda M. The Captain from Connecticut: The Life and Naval Times of Isaac Hull. Boston: Northeastern University Press, 1986.
Martin, Tyrone G. A Most Fortunate Ship: A Narrative History of Old Ironsides. Rev. ed. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1997.
Molloy, Leo T., ed. Commodore Isaac Hull, U.S.N.: His Life and Times. Derby, Conn.: The Hull Book Fund, 1964.