Editing Esek Hopkins (section)

{{Short description|Continental Navy officer and privateer}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix  =
| name              = Esek Hopkins
| honorific_suffix  =
| native_name       =
| native_name_lang  =
| image         = Esek Hopkins, Commander.jpg
| image_size    =
| alt           =
| caption       =
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1718|4|26}}
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1802|2|26|1718|4|26}}
| birth_place   = [[Scituate, Rhode Island]]
| death_place   = [[Providence, Rhode Island]]
| placeofburial = North Burial Ground,<br>Providence
| placeofburial_label =
| placeofburial_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}} -->
| nickname      =
| birth_name    =
| allegiance    = {{flagcountry|US|1777}}
| branch        = [[Privateer]]<br/>{{flagicon image|US Naval Jack 13 stripes.svg}} [[Continental Navy]]
| serviceyears  = 1754–1763 (privateer)<br/>1775–1778 (Continental Navy)
| rank          = [[Captain]] (Privateer) <br /> {{flagicon image|US-O7 insignia.svg}} [[Commodore (rank)|Commodore]] (Continental Navy)
| servicenumber =
| unit          =
| commands      =
| battles       = [[French and Indian War]]<br />[[American Revolutionary War]]
| battles_label =
| awards        =
| spouse        = Desire Burroughs
| relations     =
| laterwork     =
| signature     = [[File:Esek Hopkins signature.jpg|150px]]
| website       =
}}

[[Commodore (rank)|Commodore]] '''Esek Hopkins''' (April 26, 1718{{snd}}February 26, 1802) was a [[Continental Navy]] officer and privateer. He served as the only [[commander-in-chief]] of the Continental navy during the [[American Revolutionary War]], when the [[Continental Congress]] appointed him to the position in December 1775.<ref name="EB1911"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Esek Hopkins appointed Commander-in-Chief of Continental Navy |url=https://www.californiasar.org/2022/12/esek-hopkins-appointed-commanderchief-of-continental-navy/ |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=California SAR |date=22 December 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Esek Hopkins {{!}} United States naval officer {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Esek-Hopkins |access-date=2023-02-20 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref> Hopkins is known for carrying out the successful [[raid of Nassau]] in [[the Bahamas]], which captured large amounts of military supplies. His legacy today has become controversial due to Hopkins' involvement in the [[Atlantic slave trade]] and for torturing British prisoners of war.