by A. A.
What was the Bonhomm vs. Serapis battle and how was it important? The Bonhomme vs. Serapis battle had a huge impact on the American Revolution. Things that make it so important are the ship, Bonhomme Richard, John Paul Jones, and what happened in the Bonhomme vs. Serapis battle. This is what happened before and in the Bonhomme vs. Serapis battle.
The first fact that made the Bonhomme vs. Serapis battle so important is the ship itself, Bonhomme Richard. The ship was formerly named Duc de Duras, a warship in the Continental Navy. The commander of the ship ten years later, John Paul Jones, renamed the ship Bonhomme Richard in honor of Benjamin Franklin. It was originally a merchant ship built in France for the French Cast India Company for between France and Orient. Bonhomme Richard could change into a warship if it was needed later on, which it was. This is how the ship, Bonhomme Richard had a big impact on the American Revolution.
The next reason that made the Bonhomme vs. Serapis battle so important to the American Revolution is the commander of the Bonhomme Richard, John Paul Jones. Jones was Scottish-born and then he moved to America and lived in Fredricksburg, Virginia. Later after he moved to America, he served on slave and merchant ships and proved that he was a seaman. After John Paul Jones proved he was a seaman, he decided that he wanted to take command of the Bonhomme Richard. This is how John Paul Jones had an important part in the Bonhomme vs. Serapis battle.
The last part of the Bonhomme vs. Serapis battle that made it so important was the battle itself. On September 23rd 1779, there were many warships at convoy of the Serapis. The Bonhomme and Serapis battle started at 6:00 p.m. and went for four hours. The Bonhomme vs. Serapis battle took half the lives of American and British crews. The commander of the Serapis called on Jones to surrender. Jones replied, “I have not yet begun to fight!” Because the Bonhomme Richard had larger ships and more people, they won the battle after one more of Jones’ ships joined. The British was forced to surrender at around 10:30 that night. This is what happened during the Bonhomme and Serapis battle .
After the Bonhomme Richard won the battle against Serapis, the Bonhomme Richard caught on fire and sank 36 hours later. This is how the ship, Bonhomme Richard, John Paul Jones, and what happened in the Bonhomme vs. Serapis battle made it so important and gave a big impact on the American Revolution. This is what happened before, during, and after the Bonhomme vs. Serapis battle.