Brief Summary: John Paul Jones

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John Paul Jones By Malcolm Cranford John Paul Jones was born John Paul, in southwest Scotland on July 6, 1747. He grew up loving the sea. At the age of 13, he went on a ship to Whitehaven where he signed up for a seamen’s apprenticeship. When he was seventeen years old, he was third mate on a slave trade ship called the King George. Two years later, he transferred to the ship, Two Friendsas first mate. This ship was 50 feet long with a crew of six and 77 African slaves. At age twenty-one, John Paul became a captain. He achieved this by his own merits. Life was not always easy for Jones. He was arrested and charged with murder. The charges were dropped after it was found that Mungo Maxwell, the son of a prominent family, was in…show more content…
On April 10, 1778, Jones sailed on a cruise to the Irish Sea capturing and destroying ships. There were two forts guarding the harbor to Whitehaven. The plan was to capture one fort with each boat. After that he knocked down the other tower and brought everyone back to the ship safely. Jones was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the newly formed American Navy on December 7, 1775. He gave advise to Congress when they wrote the Navy regulations. His many adventures and victories against the British in their own waters made him a hated enemy of the English. On the night of September 23, 1779, John Paul Jones fought his most famous battle against the Serapis and the _Countess of _Scarborogh, two British ships. Jones fought like a hero and said when asked if he would surrender, “I have not yet begun to fight. Out of 375 American sailors only 75 survived including Jones but they won the battle and took over both of the English ships and sailed home with over 500 prisoners. After narrowly escaping being murdered in England, Jones returned to Paris in May 1790. On July 18, 1792, he died at the age of 45. His body was preserved and buried in an unmarked tomb for more than 100 years. In 1905 his remains were discovered and his body was moved and entombed in the chapel crypt of Annapolis Naval

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