Prior to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, tensions between the colonies and Great Britain rose exponentially with time. In an effort to combat the debt encountered from the Seven Years War and maintain control of the …show more content…
However, John Paul Jones was not always a household name, as he came from a very modest upbringing. Born in Arbigland. Scotland on 6 July 1747, John Paul Jones was raised in a family that faced poverty and struggled to make ends meet. Not to be discouraged, Jones used his humble beginnings to drive his desire to become a naval officer. It was noted by others that when the young John Paul Jones would play with his friends, he was always the one in charge. Oftentimes they would play with toy sailboats along the shore, and Jones would always be the captain of the ships. His calling to the sea swelled immensely as he received his first apprenticeship on the Friendship at the age of 13. In the following 14 years, John Paul Jones would sail on multiple merchant and slave ships for various countries, learning the ropes of sailing along the