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ESEK HOPKINS (1718-18oz)

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Originally appearing in Volume V13, Page 684 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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ESEK

HOPKINS (1718-18oz)  , the first
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admiral of the
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United States
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navy, was born at Scituate, Rhode Island, in 1718 . He belonged to one of the most prominent Puritan families of New England . At the age of twenty he went to sea, and rapidly came to the front as a good sailor and skilful trader . Marrying, three years later, into a prosperous
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family of
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Newport, and thus increasing his influence in Rhode Island, he became commodore of a
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fleet of seventeen merchantmen, the movements of which he directed with skill and energy . In war as well as peace, Hopkins was establishing his reputation as one of the leading colonial seamen, for as captain of a
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privateer he made more than one brilliant and successful venture during the Seven Years' War. in the
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interval between voyages, moreover, he was engaged in Rhode Island politics, and rendered efficient support to his
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brother Stephen against the Ward faction . At the outbreak of the War of Independence, Hopkins was appointed brigadier-general by Rhode Island, was commissioned, December 1775, by the
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Continental Congress,
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commander-in-chief of the navy, and in
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January 1776 hoisted his flag as admiral of the eight converted merchantmen which then constituted the navy of the United States . His first cruise resulted in a
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great acquisition of material of war and an indecisive fight with H.M.S . "
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Glasgow." At first this created great
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enthusiasm, but criticism soon made itself heard . Hopkins and two of his captains were tried for breach of orders, and, though ably defended by John Adams, were censured by Congress . The commands, nevertheless, were not interfered with, and a prize was soon afterwards named after the admiral by their orders . But the difficulties and mutual distrust continually increased, and in 1777 Congress summarily dismissed Hopkins from his command, on the complaint of some of his
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officers . Before the order arrived, the admiral had detected the conspiracy against him, and had had the ringleaders tried and degraded by court-martial .

But the Congress followed up its order by dismissing him from the navy . For the

rest of his
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life he lived in Rhode Island, playing a prominent
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part in state politics, and he died at
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Providence in 1802 . See
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Edward Field, Life of Esek Hopkins (Providence, 1898) ; also an article by R . Grieve in the New England
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Magazine of November 1897 .

End of Article: ESEK HOPKINS (1718-18oz)
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EDWARD WASHBURN HOPKINS (1857— )
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