{"id":4070,"date":"2017-07-03T10:32:23","date_gmt":"2017-07-03T14:32:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/?p=4070"},"modified":"2024-06-17T11:31:11","modified_gmt":"2024-06-17T15:31:11","slug":"the-first-u-s-warship-to-carry-the-flag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/the-first-u-s-warship-to-carry-the-flag\/","title":{"rendered":"The first U.S. warship to carry the flag"},"content":{"rendered":"

July 4th<\/sup>. It\u2019s a familiar date. It\u2019s when we celebrate the beginning of our independence as a country. It\u2019s a date that has come to signify freedom, \u2018the American way,\u2019 hot dogs, fireworks, and quality time with friends and family.<\/p>\n

More than anything, it\u2019s a date that offers us a chance to reflect on the beginnings from which our nation has evolved.<\/p>\n

A chance to remember what it took, what it takes, to be free.<\/p>\n

Many notable things have happened on July 4th<\/sup> over the years. The most obvious, of course, was when the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, dissolving the \u201cpolitical bands\u201d which tied the colonies to Great Britain. On July 4th<\/sup>, 1776, the United States of America became a reality.<\/p>\n

Another momentous event occurred on July 4th<\/sup>, 1777.<\/p>\n

In Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a Scot by the name of John Paul Jones<\/a> had taken command of a Continental warship.<\/p>\n

\"Captain<\/a><\/figure>\n

Captain John Paul Jones, Continental Navy<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Originally named Hampshire<\/i>, the ship was renamed Ranger<\/i> before Jones took her to sea. Jones, the man we know as the father of the United States Navy, was given orders by Congress<\/a> to:<\/p>\n

\u201cproceed with her [Ranger] in the manner you<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/span>shall judge best for distressing the Enemies of<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u00a0<\/i><\/span><\/span>the United States by sea or otherwise.<\/span><\/span><\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

Basically, Jones was given free rein to wage guerilla warfare using his ship against the British. A strongly independent man (Scottish folks aren\u2019t known for being timid), fighting for a newly-independent country, against the most powerful navy in the world at that time\u2026with one ship. Talk about guts.<\/p>\n

Before he and his crew got underway, they hoisted a flag aboard Ranger<\/i>. It wasn\u2019t the \u201cDon\u2019t tread on me\u201d<\/a> flag, nor was it any version of the Jolly Roger<\/a>. And, of course, it wasn\u2019t the U.S. Navy flag<\/a> we know today.<\/p>\n

The flag they hoisted was the symbol of our new nation. It was the first time our Stars and Stripes flew on a United States warship.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/figure>\n

The Stars and Stripes, as designed by Betsy Ross, was hoisted on the sloop-of-war Ranger, making her the first American warship to carry the flag.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We\u2019d already told Great Britain and the world, through the Declaration of Independence, that we were a free people. But Jones and his crew lifted the symbol of our freedom to greater heights. They carried the Stars and Stripes<\/a> into battle on the high seas.<\/p>\n

And, not only was the Ranger the first ship to hoist our new nation\u2019s colors, she was also the first ship to receive official recognition of our flag from a foreign government<\/a>. After her first transatlantic voyage, and while being refitted in France, Ranger<\/i> and her crew graciously received official honors to the American flag from the French navy. France became the first foreign government to recognize the United States as a sovereign power.<\/p>\n

\"USS<\/a><\/figure>\n

USS Ranger receives the first recognition of the American flag by a foreign government on February 14, 1778; Quiberon Bay, France.<\/i><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Here are some famous quotations by John Paul Jones<\/a>, the father of the U.S. Navy:<\/p>\n

\u201cAn honorable Peace is and always was my first wish\u2026but, if this War should continue, I wish to have the most active part in it.”<\/p>\n

\u201cI have not yet begun to fight!”<\/p>\n

\u201cI wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast; for I intend to go in harm’s way.”<\/p>\n

\u201cIf fear is cultivated it will become stronger, if faith is cultivated it will achieve mastery.”<\/p>\n

\u201cIt seems to be a law of nature\u2026that those who will not risk cannot win.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

July 4th. It\u2019s a familiar date. It\u2019s when we celebrate the beginning of our independence as a country. It\u2019s a date that has come to signify freedom, \u2018the American way,\u2019 hot dogs, fireworks, and quality time with friends and family. More than anything, it\u2019s a date that offers us a chance to reflect on the… continue<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":4075,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[426,10,306,255],"class_list":["post-4070","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-flag-information","tag-4th-of-july","tag-american-flag","tag-betsy-ross","tag-independence-day"],"yoast_head":"\nThe first U.S. warship to carry the flag - Gettysburg Flag Works Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettysburgflag.com\/blog\/the-first-u-s-warship-to-carry-the-flag\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The first U.S. warship to carry the flag - Gettysburg Flag Works Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"July 4th. 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