This summer marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States.
To celebrate, we've created a new audiobook series called American Revolution for Kids, available now on Spotify.
These episodes tell the stories of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, the Declaration of Independence, Valley Forge, the Battle of Trenton, spies of the Revolution, and many more people and events from America's founding.
You can find American Revolution for Kids on Spotify, and we've included the link in the show notes.
Imagine you're standing on the deck of a wooden ship.
The salty air stings your nose and the waves rock you back and forth.
You grip the rope rail, eyes wide, as sailors shout orders and cannons boom in the distance.
It's the time of the American Revolution and the sea is full of danger.
Now picture yourself far from home in the middle of a huge ocean.
You can't see land anywhere.
The sky is gray and the wind is cold.
You're not alone, though.
Around you, American sailors are getting ready to fight, hoping they'll win freedom for their new country.
The American Revolution was not just fought on land.
There were important battles on the sea too.
One of the bravest sea captains was a man named John Paul Jones.
He fought for the Americans even though he was born in Scotland.
He became famous for his courage, skill, and bold ideas.
People called him a naval hero.
Back then, most of the fighting was between the American colonies and Great Britain.
Britain had the world's strongest navy.
Their ships were bigger, faster, and had more cannons.
The American ships were smaller and didn't have as many supplies.
But the Americans didn't give up.
They knew they had to fight hard if they wanted to win their freedom.
John Paul Jones started his sea adventures when he was just a teenager.
By age 12, he was already working on ships.
He learned how to sail, how to fix ropes, and how to find his way by the stars.
When the war started, he wanted to help the Americans.
He moved to Virginia and joined the new American Navy.
Jones' first big mission was to attack British ships along the coast.
He sailed up and down the Atlantic Ocean,
Looking for chances to stop British supplies.
Sometimes he sneaked into British waters at night.
He captured enemy ships and brought them back to help the American side.
He was clever and quick.
The British started to worry about him.
One of his most famous adventures happened in April 1778.
Jones took his ship, the Ranger, across the Atlantic Ocean all the way to Great Britain.
That was a very bold thing to do.
He wanted to show the British that the Americans were not afraid.
While there, he attacked a British town called Whitehaven.
He and his men snuck ashore at night.
They tried to set fire to the ships in the harbor.
The fire didn't spread very far, but it scared people in Britain.
They realized that American ships could attack them at home.
On another trip, Jones captured a British warship called the Drake.
The two ships battled for over an hour, cannons roared, and sailors shouted as smoke filled the air.
When the fighting was over, the Americans had won.
That was the first time an American ship captured a British warship in their own waters.
People in America cheered when they heard the news.
But John Paul Jones' most famous sea battle was yet to come.
In 1779, Jones was given command of a big ship called the Bonhomme Richard.
He named it after his friend Benjamin Franklin's book, Poor Richard's Almanac.
The ship wasn't new.
It was old and slow, and it leaked a lot.
Still, Jones and his crew worked hard to get it ready.
Jones set out with a small group of ships to attack the British along their coast.
On September 23, 1779, he found what he was looking for.
Two big British ships were guarding a group of merchant boats.
One of the British ships was called the Serapis.
It was new, strong, and had lots of cannons.
The battle began in the evening near a place called Flamborough Head.
The Bonhomme Richard and the Serapis fired cannons at each other.
Cannonballs flew through the air, smashing wood and sending splinters everywhere.
The noise was deafening.
The Bonhomme Risher started to break apart.
Holes gaped in the side, and water rushed in.
Some Americans wanted to give up, but not John Paul Jones.
Jones made a daring move.
He ordered his men to tie their ship to the Serapis.
The two ships were locked together, side by side.
Now the sailors could see each other's faces.
They fired pistols and threw grenades.
The fighting was fierce.
At one point, someone called out, asking if Jones wanted to surrender.
He shouted back, That's a famous line people remember about him.
The Bonhomme Richard was badly damaged.
The mainmast was hit and the ship was sinking.
But Jones and his crew kept fighting.
An American sailor crawled out along a beam and threw a grenade through a hatch on the Serapis.
It exploded on the gunpowder below.
The blast set off a huge fire.
The British captain saw that he couldn't win.
He gave up and surrendered his ship to John Paul Jones.
Jones and his men climbed onto the Serapis.
The Bonhomme Richard was too damaged to save.
It sank into the sea.
But the Americans had won the battle.
They took the Serapis as their prize.
The news of the victory spread quickly.
People in America and France cheered for John Paul Jones.
Even people in Britain were amazed at his bravery.
The battle showed that the Americans could stand up to the world's strongest navy.
Life on the ships was not easy.
The sailors ate hard, dry biscuits and salty meat.
Sometimes there were rats on board.
The men slept in hammocks that swung with the waves.
When it was cold, they had to wear thick coats and hats.
When it was hot, everyone got sweaty and tired.
But the sailors stuck together.
They worked hard to scrub the decks, mend the sails, and load the cannons.
Sometimes they would spot dolphins swimming beside the ship.
On clear nights, they could see the stars shining above.
Sailors used the stars to find their way across the ocean.
They watched out for storms because high waves could tip a ship over.
When the wind died down, they would be stuck.
Waiting for days until the breeze came back.
Jones was a strict leader, but he cared about his men.
He wanted them to be safe and ready.
He set rules for keeping the ship clean and for sharing food.
He made sure wounded men got help.
He also treated prisoners fairly,
When British sailors were captured, he did not let his men be mean to them.
He believed in fighting bravely, but also in treating people with respect.
After the big victory with the Serapis, John Paul Jones became a famous hero.
He kept working for the Navy.
He went to France to get more ships and supplies for the Americans.
He met kings and leaders, and people listened to his stories.
Later, he even helped the Russian Navy for a while.
But he always cared most about the country he helped to make free.
The sea battles of the American Revolution were very important.
The British Navy was powerful, but the Americans were determined.
They captured ships, stopped supplies, and kept fighting, even when things looked hopeless.
John Paul Jones showed everyone that courage and hard work could change history.
Other Americans also fought bravely at sea.
There were captains like Nicholas Biddle and Lambert Wicks.
There were ordinary sailors whose names aren't as famous.
Black sailors, Native American sailors, and immigrants all worked together on the ships.
They all played a part in the fight for freedom.
Some American ships were privateers.
That means they were not part of the regular Navy.
Privateers were like official pirates.
The government gave them special papers called Letters of Mark.
That meant they could attack enemy ships and take their cargo.
Privateers helped a lot by capturing hundreds of British ships and bringing supplies to the Americans.
The sea battles were dangerous.
Ships could catch fire, sink, or be lost in storms.
Many sailors didn't come back.
But their bravery helped win the war.
After the Revolution, the Americans had proved they could stand up to even the biggest navy.
John Paul Jones died in 1792 in France.
He was buried there for almost 100 years.
Later, American sailors brought his body back to the United States.
Today he is buried at the United States Naval Academy in Maryland.
People still visit his tomb to remember his courage.
When you think about the american revolution you might picture soldiers in red and blue coats fighting on land but don't forget the sailors at sea
They fought with wind and waves as their enemies as well as the british navy
They showed what it means to be brave even when the odds are against you
John Paul Jones once said he wanted to raise a great and glorious reputation.
He did just that, not just for himself, but for the new country he fought for.
His battles on the sea helped make America free.
And if you ever stand by the ocean and watch the waves, you can remember the sailors who risked everything for a dream of freedom.
