War at Sea

Colonists fight the British Navy

Warm Up Questions

• Why did the colonists need to challenge Britain’s control of the sea?

• How are they going to challenge the British, without their own navy?

War at Sea• The fighting was not only on land

• The colonists needed to fight a naval battle

• Why?

• British blockades– No trade--Britain controlled all routes– Limited aid from foreign countries

• How did they get a navy??

Privateer

• Colonists used privateers to fight naval battles

• Privately owned ship that a wartime government grants permission to attack an enemy’s ships

• They would capture a ship, sell its cargo, and split the profits

• Desire for money and patriotism motivated the privateers

• During the war, they captured hundreds of British ships– British merchants wanted the war to end– Loosing money!!!

John Paul Jones• Most famous privateer, and naval hero• B. John Jones: 7/6/1747 in Scotland D.

7/18/1792• Son of a gardener• At age of 12, entered the British merchant

marines• 1769--Received his first command• 1773--Killed a crewman who was attempting

a mutiny– Rather than stand trial, he fled to North America– British now considered him a pirate

John Paul Jones

John Paul Jones cont..• Concealed identity by adding “Jones” to his

last name• 1775--Went to Philadelphia; given a

lieutenant’s rank in the Continental Navy– Helped from members in congress

• 1776--Captian of the Providence– Destroyed British ships in Nova Scotia – Captured 16 British ships

• 1777--Captain of the Ranger– Sailed to France: Terrorized the coasts of England

and Scotland– Destroyed many British vessels

John Paul Jones cont…• 1779--France honored him with a ship

– Named the ship: Bonhomme Richard• Good Man Richard in honor of Benjamin

Franklin

• Patrolled the English coast and given command of a combined American and French fleet

• Sept. 23, 1779--approached a British convey led by the warship Serapis

Bonhomme Richard vs. Serapis

• Sept. 23, 1779 the two ships began fighting• Jones rammed the Serapis, and the ships became

locked together• Two warships fired at each other• Jones’s ship was damaged, on fire, and sinking• The British captain demanded he surrender• Jones replied, “I have not yet begun to fight!”• The battle went on for over three hours!!!• Finally, the Serapis’ main mast cracked and fell

– The Captain of the Serapis surrendered

• The Bonhomme Richard was so damaged, that it sunk• John Paul Jones and his crew sailed away in the

Serapis

Bonhomme Richard

Serapis

Bonhomme vs. Serapis

Bonhomme vs. Serapis

Bonhomme vs. Serapis

John Paul Jones cont…• Became known as the Father of the American Navy• Congress thanked him and promised him command of

a new ship called America• This fell through, and he became a naval advisor• He never again held a major American command at

sea• 1788--Sailed for Russian Empress Catherine the Great• July 18, 1792 died of pneumonia and buried in Paris• His body was buried in an unmarked grave• 1905--Teddy Roosevelt sent expedition to find his body• Brought it back to the United States: Buried in

Annapolis, U.S. Naval Academy

John Paul Jones’ Tomb