Admiral Esek Hopkins

There are names in American naval history that echo like cannon fire across the centuries. John Paul Jones. David Farragut. Chester Nimitz. But before them all, before the Navy had steel hulls and nuclear reactors, before the Stars and Stripes flew over a single commissioned warship, there was Esek Hopkins. For a brief and storm-tossed moment, he was the man in charge of the very first American fleet. He was bold, controversial, irascible, and imperfect. And yet, without him, the United States Navy might never have gotten off the ground—or, more precisely, off the docks.

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Hopkins was born April 26, 1718, in Scituate, Rhode Island, into a prominent and politically connected family. His brother, Stephen Hopkins, would go on to sign the Declaration of Independence and chair the Naval Committee of the Continental Congress. Esek was already a seasoned sailor by the time the Revolution began, having gained experience in the merchant trade and privateering during the French and Indian War. He became known as a capable seaman and trader, eventually amassing a fortune.

In 1764, Hopkins took command of the slave ship Sally, owned by the Brown brothers of Providence. The voyage was a failure, both financially and ethically. Of the 196 enslaved Africans taken aboard, 109 died due to conditions during the Middle Passage or upon arrival in the West Indies. Hopkins documented an uprising on the ship and reported using deadly force to suppress it. This experience influenced at least one of the Brown brothers, Moses Brown, to later become an abolitionist. Hopkins never again captained a slaving voyage.

At the outbreak of the American Revolution, Hopkins was appointed brigadier general of Rhode Island’s forces. On December 22, 1775, he was named Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Navy by the Continental Congress. At the time, the Navy consisted of eight converted merchant vessels. Hopkins’ orders were to clear British naval forces from the Chesapeake Bay, then proceed to the Carolinas and Rhode Island. However, the orders included a clause allowing discretion if circumstances made the mission impossible. Hopkins invoked this clause and directed his fleet to the Bahamas instead.

On March 3, 1776, he led the first amphibious assault in American naval history by capturing the lightly defended British port of Nassau on New Providence Island. His forces seized a significant cache of artillery and supplies, though most of the gunpowder had been removed before their arrival. John Hancock congratulated Hopkins for the success, which boosted morale and supplied much-needed war matériel.

During the return voyage, Hopkins’ fleet encountered the British sloop-of-war Glasgow near Block Island on April 6, 1776. In the ensuing battle, poor coordination among the American ships allowed Glasgow to escape. The American fleet, though numerically superior, failed to deliver a decisive blow. Criticism of Hopkins’ leadership intensified after this event.

Back in Rhode Island, Hopkins’ fleet was blockaded by the British. Privateers, who were paid more and operated with fewer restrictions, drew manpower away from the Continental Navy. Tensions within the fleet grew, and in February 1777, ten junior officers submitted a petition to Congress questioning Hopkins’ conduct. Though he defended himself and received some support from influential figures such as John Adams, he was censured by Congress in August 1776, suspended in March 1777, and officially dismissed in January 1778.

After his dismissal, Hopkins returned to Rhode Island, where he served in the General Assembly until 1786. He died on February 26, 1802, in Providence.

Hopkins remains the only individual to hold the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Navy. While he played a foundational role in the early history of American naval operations, his legacy is controversial due to his involvement in the slave trade and his strained relations with Congress and his officers.

Today, public memory of Hopkins is mixed. Some schools and memorials bearing his name have faced reevaluation, and historians continue to debate how to interpret his contributions. Nonetheless, he led the first American naval expedition and the first amphibious landing by Marines and sailors. These milestones ensure that Esek Hopkins holds a place, however contested, in the story of the American Revolution.