Sailors assigned to the USS Constitution demonstrate how pikes would have been used during the age of sail. USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat and played a crucial role in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, actively defending sea lanes from 1797 to 1855. Designated America’s Ship of State, Constitution, and her crew engage in community outreach and education about the ship’s history and the importance of naval power is more than 500,000 visitors each year.