Although only a town of 20,000 people, Boston provided nearly all the materials needed to outfit Constitution in 1812. The ship’s masts, sails, metal fittings, boats, gun carriages, and a thousand things besides came from skilled craftspeople. In all, Bostonians earned more than $200,000 for their work. The frigate building program proved a powerful stimulus to the local economy.
Amos Binney, Boston’s purchasing agent for the Navy, hired poor women and children to sew clothing needed for the ship’s crew during the war. This practice enabled Binney to procure clothes at a moment’s notice and at low prices, which benefitted the Navy and offered a meager income to those in need of work.