The United States flag is formally recognized by a foreign naval vessel for the first time, when French Admiral Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte renders a nine gun salute to USS Ranger, commanded by John Paul Jones.

Flag of the United States

The national flag of the United States, often referred to as the American flag or the U.S. flag, consists of thirteen horizontal stripes, alternating red and white, with a blue rectangle in the canton bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset…

Naval ship

Military ship used by a navy

A naval ship is a military ship that is used by a navy. Naval ships are differentiated from civilian ships by construction and purpose. Generally, naval ships are damage resilient and armed with weapon systems, though armament on troop transports is light or non-existent.

Admiral

Highest rank of naval officer

Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, or fleet admiral.

Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte

French Navy officer

Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte was a French Navy officer. Over a career spanning 50 years, he served under Louis XV and Louis XVI and took part in 34 military engagements. He fought in the Seven Years' War and the American Revolutionary War, earning the ranks of…

USS Ranger (1777)

Sloop of the Continental Navy

USS Ranger was a 18-gun sloop of the Continental Navy, serving from 1777 to 1780 and the first to bear her name. Built at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Badger's Island in Kittery, Maine, she is famed for the solo raiding campaign carried out by her first captain, John Paul Jones,…

John Paul Jones

Scottish-born naval officer (1747–1792)

John Paul Jones was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regarded by several commentators as one of the greatest naval commanders in the military…