Portal:Scotland/Selected biographies/69
John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. Credited as being the "Father of the American Navy" (a title also credited to John Barry, John Adams, and sometimes Joshua Humphreys), Jones is highly regarded as one of the greatest naval commanders in the history of the United States.
Jones was a Freemason, and made many friends among U.S political elites (including John Hancock and Benjamin Franklin) as well as enemies (who accused him of piracy), and his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation that persists to this day. (Full article...) Read more ...