Father of the US Navy

John Paul Jones

Family

• He was born July 6, 1747 in Kirkbean, Scotland.

• His father was also named John Paul and was a gardener. His family was working class.

• He had six siblings named William, Elizabeth, Janet, Mary Ann & two others that died as a baby.

• John Paul Jones was the youngest of the children.

Education/Training

• John Paul had very little education.• At the age of 13, he became an apprentice

seaman and served on many ships in the West Indies trade including the slave trade.

• He quit the slave trade because he thought it was not nice and returned home on a ship named John.

• In1768, the captain of the ship died and John Paul took over command of the ship. He was a captain from that time forward. He was only 21.

Coming to America

• While Captain of the Betsy, he killed a man in self-defense.

• To avoid trial, he left and came to the America colonies in 1775.

• He changed his name to John Paul Jones.

• He inherited his brother’s, William, property in Fredericksburg, Virginia.

War Achievements

• In 1775 he offered his services to the new Continental Navy and became a First Lieutenant.

• In 1776 he was the first to raise the national flag on a ship of war, the Alfred. This was one month before General Washington raised the national flag.

• In 1778 John Paul Jones was in command of the Ranger when the French was the first to recognize the American flag with a 9 gun salute.

War Achievements

• John Paul Jones had a bold strategy to take the fight to the British coast so the British could not send as many ships to the colonies. He won many battles.

• On September 23, 1779, the most famous sea battle began. The Bon Homme Richard and the Serapis fought. The Bon Homme Richard had much damage.

• The Captain of the Serapis asked John Paul Jones if he was ready to surrender.

• John Paul Jones gave his famous quote. “I have not yet begun to fight.”

• John Paul Jones and the Bon Homme Richard went on to win the battle.

After the War

• John Paul Jones was awarded the gold medal, the only naval officer from the Continental Navy.

• John Paul Jones was appointed as a diplomat to negotiate and settle the prize money claims from the War.

• He was invited to enter the Russian military in their fight against the Turks.

Death

• In 1792, President George Washington signed a petition to grant John Paul Jones American citizenship. Jones did not know this because he died in 1792 in Paris, France.

• His body was preserved in an alcohol filled lead casket and buried in Paris.

• In 1899 our French Ambassador started looking for his forgotten grave. In 1905 they found his grave.

• In 1906, services were held to rebury John Paul Jones in the US Naval Cemetery.

Father of the US Navy

• John Paul Jones knew how to build a strong naval force.

• He set high standards and developed solid training for his seaman.

• He never quit when things got tough.• He took the fight to the enemy.• His determination and unwillingness to

surrender has set the standard for today’s Navy.

Bibliography

• "John Paul Jones." Patriots from American Revolution. n.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2012. <http://www.sonofthesouth.net/revolutionary-war/patriots/john-paul-jones.htm>.

• "John Paul Jones." bio true story. n.p., n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/john-paul-jones-9357409>.

• Conrad, Dennis M. "John Paul Jones." Biographies in Naval History. n.p., n.d. Web. 5 Feb. 2012. <http://www.history.navy.mil/bios/jones_jp_conrad.htm>.

• Bradford, James C. "John Paul Jones." The World Book Encyclopedia. 2009.

• Tibbits, Alison D. John Paul Jones Father of the American Navy. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow Publishers, Inc., 2002. Print.