John Paul Jones: The Man Who Created the US Navy and Terrified the British | Forgotten History

by Panzer
[Music]
When the storm clouds of war gathered the American colonies were in no position to fight the greatest
land and naval power in the world the British Empire. The colonials had no navy no standing army
just a collection of colonial militias that were not a traditional standardized force and of course
we had no Marine Corps. Foreign assistance to aid the colonies and their desire to be free came in
many forms such as foreign military officers like the Prussian Baron von Steuben the French Marquis
de Lafayette and Polish Casimir Pulaski and a Scottish fugitive from British justice John
Paul Jones. These foreigners helped create and train the American forces in the great struggle
to come but one would stand out. Who was John Paul Jones? Why was he critical to the colonial forces?
What did he actually do to create what would become the United States Navy? What happened
to him after the American Revolution? Hello I'm Colin Heaton former history
professor Army and Marine Corps veteran and welcome to this episode of Forgotten History
John Paul Jones was born John Paul on July 6th 1747 in Kirkudbright Scotland under the name of
John Paul the Jones being added later and coming from a very modest family with few prospects he
signed on into the British Merchant Marine and went to sea for the first time as a cabin boy at
age 12. He spent many years at sea and learned all the skills required of an able seaman and
also became a master navigator after which he became first mate on a Brigantine slave ship
collecting their human cargo off the coast of West Africa. Being personally appalled by the
slave trade he transferred to a merchantman in 1766 and was appointed a ship's master in 1769.
His problems began when in 1773 he faced a mutiny aboard ship while anchored in Tobago. Depending
upon the source and story the leader of the mutiny attacked him with a bludgeon and he killed the man
in self-defense with either a pistol or sword. The British Admiralty took an interest and wanted a
formal trial. The dead man apparently had powerful business friends in London. It was apparent that
John Paul would probably not receive a fair trial as the crew who mutinied would be called
to testify. Others on the ship who supported his case as witnesses were removed from the ship and
scattered to other ships so as to be unavailable as defense witnesses. John Paul saw what was
coming and that he would not receive a fair trial so he fled to Virginia and was listed as
a fugitive from Justice by the British government which was why he added the surname Jones. Jones
had landed in the colonies at just the right time as they were in the early stages of breaking away
from Great Britain. As a wanted man he fit right in with the rebellious colonial leadership who
were also considered criminals and traitors. In 1775 Jones arrived in Philadelphia and signed on
to the Continental Navy which was just in its birthing stage and received his commission as
a lieutenant on the first American flagship the sloop Alfred. Jones was also very knowledgeable
of the Royal Navy's tactics and methods. He met with the colonial leadership and laid out his
vision as to what the Continental Navy needed to have a chance at winning the coming war. He
told them that due to the time required and the great expense and resources required they would
need to build a frigate fleet. His argument was that the Americans would never be able to build
the ships of the line the battleships of their day with between 74 and 100 guns or more. They
could build four fast well-armed frigates instead for the same cost as one ship of the line and in