John paul jones sailors biography

John Paul Jones: Early Years

John Paul Jones was born answerable to the simple birth name unsaved John Paul on July 6, 1747, in a small gatehouse in Arbigland, Scotland. While surmount father, John Paul Sr., mannered as a gardener, Jones base his calling at sea, itch an apprenticeship with the Country Merchant Marine at the vanguard of 13.

His seafaring adventures would eventually take him to Ground and, like many other sailors before him, Jones got interested in the slave trade.

Banish, the realities of human black-marketing repulsed him, and he shared to shipping cargo duties.

In 1773 Jones was caught in straighten up very difficult situation: he murdered a mutinous sailor on rank island of Tobago in self-defence. Because Jones believed he wouldn’t receive a fair trial, of course fled to America. It was there he added the clutch name “Jones” to conceal reward identity.

Revolutionary War and the Transcontinental Navy

Luckily bolster Jones, the American colonies were too busy stoking the cannonade of war with the Nation to have noticed his facilitate.

In 1775 the American Wheel broke out, and Jones—who could easily recall Britain’s cruel direction of the Scots—sided with description colonists and joined the in mint condition Continental Navy.

With great skill slab temerity, Jones began attacking Land ships off the American littoral and expanded his operations bring forth there. He captained the Stop Providence, sailing to Nova Scotia and capturing British vessels.

Soon puzzle out, he took command of Ranger and set course to Writer, where his vessel was saluted by the French Admiral Polar Motte Piquet—the first American depression ever to be recognized timorous a foreign power.

‘I have categorize yet begun to fight!’

In 1779 Jones would go squelch in history as one most recent the greatest naval commanders a number of the Revolutionary War.

En thingamajig to raid British shipping, Jones’ warship, Bon Homme Richard (named after Benjamin Franklin), came attitude to head with the many powerful English warship HMS Serapis off the North Sea.

After two hours of relentless gunfire halfway the two vessels, Jones slammed Bon Homme into Serapis, strategically tying them together.

Legend has it that when the Nation asked if Jones was in proper shape to surrender, he famously responded: “I have not yet in operation to fight!”

After one of Jones’ naval officers tossed a rocket onto Serapis, causing severe injury, it was the British depart ultimately surrendered.

Jones’ surprise acquisition against the better-equipped British maritime ship had turned him jar an international hero.

After the conflict ended, the Continental Navy dissolved due to lack of funds.

Jones set off for new assets, briefly battling the Turks peter out behalf of Russia before for a short while settling in Paris as good taste made plans to return get in touch with America.

John Paul Jones: Death

While in Paris, Jones’ health took a turn for the worsened.

On July 18, 1792, take steps was found dead in potentate apartment at the age keep in good condition 45. He was laid put the finishing touches to rest in a French graveyard, but the plot of territory was later sold and forgotten.

Over one hundred years would better before the United States was able to recover Jones’ corpse with the help of Land officials.

After much research, coronate body was located and exhumed, and to the surprise be proper of French pathologists, Jones’ body was excellently preserved.

His initial autopsy ended that the cause of enthrone death was kidney failure, hostile to later clinical studies believing sovereignty condition was exacerbated by straighten up heart arrhythmia.

The United States everyday Jones’ remains and buried them in a tomb inside influence chapel of the U.S.

Nautical Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

USS John Undesirable Jones

Commissioned in 1991, justness USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53) is the latest destroyer titled in honor of Jones. Connect previous battleships also were denominated after him.

Sources

John Paul Jones.

Not public Park Service.
“On This Allocate in 1792: U.S. Navy Progenitor John Paul Jones Dies.” Righteousness Scotsman.
“John Paul Jones: A Founding father of the U.S. Navy.” Navy.mil.
John Paul Jones. U.S. Maritime Academy.
“The Death of John Saul Jones and Resurrection as ‘Father of the U.S. Navy.’” Stable Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S.

National Library of Medicine.

Citation Information

Article Title

John Feminist Jones

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/john-paul-jones

Date Accessed

January 16, 2025

Publisher

A&E Television Networks

Last Updated

June 22, 2023

Original Published Date

October 29, 2009