Biography john paul jones revolutionary war

John Paul Jones: Early Years

John Paul Jones was born under the simple birth name of John Paul on July 6, 1747, in a small cottage in Arbigland, Scotland. While his father, John Paul Sr., worked as a gardener, Jones found his calling at sea, earning an apprenticeship with the British Merchant Marine at the age of 13.

His seafaring adventures would eventually take him to America and, like many other sailors before him, Jones got involved in the slave trade.

However, the realities of human trafficking repulsed him, and he returned to shipping cargo duties.

In 1773 Jones was caught in a very difficult situation: he murdered a mutinous sailor on the island of Tobago in self-defense. Because Jones believed he wouldn’t receive a fair trial, he fled to America. It was there he added the last name “Jones” to conceal his identity.

Revolutionary War and the Continental Navy

Luckily for Jones, the American colonies were too busy stoking the flames of war w