You're listening to an Airwave Media Podcast. Hello and thank you for joining the American Revolution.

This week episode 232, Jones and the Armada. This week we returned to the Continental Navy and

Captain John Paul Jones. We last left Jones's story in episode 180. In 1778 Jones had raided the British coast,

captured numerous merchant ships as prizes, and eventually returned to France,

where he lost his ship and was stuck on land for nearly a year.

The French celebrated Jones for his earlier exploits against the British.

At the same time, they seemed in no hurry to give him a new ship to continue those exploits.

Jones spent his time meeting with French officials as well as the American Commissioners in Paris.

He still hoped to get command of L'Eindian,

a ship that was built in the Netherlands for the American Commissioners.

This was the ship that Jones had been promised back in 1777.

The British had gotten word of that project and protested a ship being built by an ally for their enemy,

so in the end the French Navy had to purchase the ship.

At the time Britain and France were still at peace and Britain could not object to that purchase.

French officials dangled Lindian to the Americans to that

the American's suggesting possibly making Jones its captain, but it never happened.

The French were building up their own Navy and did not want to give away such a valuable

ship of the line to an American.

Jones also continued to feel the effects of his disputes with Lieutenant Thomas Simpson, with whom he had argued constantly on the

prior voyage.

In France, Jones had Simpson thrown in prison for disobeying orders while at sea.

John Adams had taken Simpson's side in the matter and against Jones, believing that Jones

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