September 25, 1779 John Paul Jones

   We the Patriots owe much of our success to a naval hero by the name of John Paul Jones. Jones had once been considered an outlaw in Scotland After accidentally killing the leader of a mutiny, he fled to America and added Jones to his name. When the war broke out, Jones volunteered his services to the newly created navy. He quickly established himself as a brave and clever sailor. Considered a pirate by the British

   Jones captured many British supply ships. The French greatly admired Jones. When France entered the war in 1778, French leaders presented him with a small fleet of seven vessels to command. He named his flagship Bonhomme Richard (“Gentleman Richard”) in honor of Benjamin Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanac. Jones’s most famous victory was the capture of the British warship Serapis on September 23, 1779. Early in the battle, the British knocked out the heaviest artillery on the Bonhomme Richard. The battle continued for more than two hours. Finally the Americans wore down the British, who surrendered at 10:30 p.m.The Continental Navy used fewer than 100 ships over the course of the war. Yet the British lost more than 200 ships to the small but effective American naval force. He was such a large help and I am so glad that my Husband got to meet him and learn from him.


Deverell, William, and Deborah Gray. White. United States History: Beginnings to 1877. Orlando, FL: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2007. Print.

"Revolutionary War." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation Inc. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.wikipedia.com>.