John Paul Jones (born
John Paul; July 6, 1747July 18, 1792) was a
Scottish American sailor and the
United States' first well-known
naval fighter in the
American Revolutionary War. Although he made many friends and enemies among America's political elites, his actions in British waters during the Revolution earned him an international reputation which persists to this day. As such, he is sometimes referred to as the "Father of the American Navy" (an epithet he shares with
John Barry). He later served in the
Imperial Russian Navy, subsequently obtaining the rank of
rear admiral.