John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a British-American naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regarded by several commentators as one of the greatest naval commanders in the military history of the United States.
Born in Arbigland, Kirkcudbrightshire, Jones became a sailor at age 13 and served onboard several different merchantmen, including slave ships. After killing a mutinous subordinate, he fled to the British colony of Virginia to avoid being arrested and in c. 1775 joined the newly established Continental Navy. During the ensuing war with Great Britain, Jones participated in several naval engagements with the Royal Navy. He led a naval campaign in the Irish and North Seas, attacking British naval and merchant shipping, and other civilian targets. As part of the campaign, he raided the English town of Whitehaven, won the North Channel Naval Duel and fought the Battle of Flamborough Head, gaining him an international reputation.
Left without a command in 1787, Jones joined the Imperial Russian Navy and rose to the rank of rear admiral. However, after Jones was accused of raping a young girl, he was forced out of the Russian navy. A Freemason, Jones made many friends among U.S. political elites, including John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin.
John Paul, as he was then known, was born on the estate of Arbigland near Kirkbean in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright on the southwest coast of Scotland. His parents had married on November 29, 1733, in New Abbey, Kirkcudbrightshire. John Paul started his maritime career when he was 13, sailing out of Whitehaven in the northern English county of Cumberland as an apprentice aboard Friendship under Captain Benson. Paul's older brother William Paul had married and settled in Fredericksburg, Colony of Virginia. Virginia was the destination of many of the younger Paul's voyages.
For several years, Paul worked as a sailor, sailing aboard several merchant ships. In 1764, he became involved in the Atlantic slave trade, serving as third mate onboard the slave ship King George; two years later, he transferred to the crew of Two Friends, a 50-foot slave ship which operated out of Kingston, Jamaica, as first mate. After completing several voyages to West Africa, Paul left the slave trade, which he described as an "abominable trade", in 1768. While Two Friends was docked in Kingston, Paul booked passage on a ship to Scotland.
Paul's career was quickly and unexpectedly advanced during his next voyage aboard the brig John, which sailed from port in 1768, when both the captain and a ranking mate suddenly died of yellow fever. With the crew encouraging and voting him to it, Paul managed to navigate the ship back to a safe port, and in reward for this feat, the vessel's grateful Scottish owners made him master of the ship and its crew, giving him 10% of the cargo. He led two voyages to the West Indies before running into difficulty.
During his second voyage in 1770, Paul had one of his crew flogged after a failed mutiny over early payment of wages, leading to accusations that his discipline was "unnecessarily cruel". These claims were initially dismissed, but his favorable reputation was destroyed when the sailor died a few weeks later. Paul was arrested for his involvement in the man's death. He was imprisoned in Kirkcudbright Tolbooth but later released on bail. The negative effect of this episode on his reputation is indisputable. The local governor encouraged Paul to leave the area and change his name while on bail. The man who died of his injuries was not a usual sailor but an adventurer from a very influential Scottish family.
Leaving Scotland, Paul commanded a London-registered vessel named Betsy, a West Indiaman mounting 22 guns, engaging in commercial speculation in Tobago for about 18 months. This came to an end, however, when he killed a mutinous crew member with a sword in a dispute over wages. Years later, in a letter to Benjamin Franklin describing the incident, Paul claimed that the killing was committed in self-defense, but he was not willing to wait to be tried in an Admiral's Court, which would have taken months to assemble and where the family of his first victim had been influential.
He felt compelled to flee. There is an 18-month gap in his history, and some biographers explore the possibility that he may have become a pirate in order to escape Tobago. Rumors of piracy followed him, but they may have been created by his detractors. He eventually reappeared in Fredericksburg, Virginia, leaving his fortune behind; he also sought to arrange the affairs of his brother, who had died there without leaving any immediate family. He was granted land in Frederick County, Virginia. About this time, he assumed the surname of Jones (in addition to his original surname). There is a long-held tradition in North Carolina that he adopted the name "Jones" in honor of Willie Jones of Halifax, North Carolina.
Jones courted Dorothea Spotswood Dandridge, the future bride of Patrick Henry, and made a valuable friendship with Dr. John K. Read during his time in Virginia.
In the summer of 1775, Jones met Joseph Hewes and other revolutionary leaders in Philadelphia. From that period, America became "the country of his fond election", as he afterwards expressed himself to Baron Joan Derk van der Capellen tot den Pol. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society. He volunteered his services to the newly founded Continental Navy; during this time, the Navy and Marines were being formally established, and suitable ship officers and captains were in great demand. Jones's potential would likely have gone unrecognized were it not for the endorsement of Richard Henry Lee, who knew of his abilities. With help from influential members of the Continental Congress, Jones was appointed as a first lieutenant of the newly converted 24-gun frigate USS Alfred on December 7, 1775.
Jones sailed from the Delaware River in February 1776 aboard Alfred on the Continental Navy's maiden cruise. It was aboard this vessel that Jones took the honour of hoisting the first U.S. ensign, the Continental Union Flag, over a naval vessel. The fleet had been expected to cruise along the coast but was ordered instead by Commodore Esek Hopkins to sail for The Bahamas, where Nassau was raided for military supplies. The fleet had an unsuccessful encounter with a British packet ship on their return voyage. Jones was then assigned command of the sloop USS Providence. Congress had recently ordered the construction of 13 frigates for the Navy, one of which was to be commanded by Jones. In exchange for this prestigious command, Jones accepted his commission aboard the smaller Providence. Over the summer of 1776, Jones performed various services for the Continental Navy and Congress. These services included the transport of troops, the movement of supplies, and the escort of convoys. Jones assisted a brig from Hispaniola that was being chased by HMS Cerberus and laden with military stores. The brig was then purchased by Congress and commissioned as USS Hampden. During a later six-week voyage to Nova Scotia, Jones captured 16 prizes and inflicted significant damage in the Raid on Canso.
Jones's next command came as a result of Commodore Hopkins's orders to liberate hundreds of American prisoners forced to labour in coal mines in Nova Scotia, and also to raid British shipping. On November 1, 1776, Jones set sail in command of Alfred to carry out this mission. Winter conditions prevented freeing the prisoners, but the mission resulted in the capture of Mellish, a vessel carrying a vital supply of winter clothing intended for General John Burgoyne's troops in Canada.
Despite his successes at sea, Jones' disagreements with those in authority reached a new level upon arrival in Boston on December 16, 1776. While at port, he began feuding with Hopkins, as Jones believed that Hopkins was hindering his advancement by talking down his campaign plans. As a result of this and other frustrations, Jones was assigned the smaller command of the newly constructed USS Ranger on June 14, 1777.