Editing Esek Hopkins (section)

==Early life and career==
Esek Hopkins was born in [[Scituate, Rhode Island|Scituate]], in the [[Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations]], into one of the most prominent families of what is today's [[Rhode Island]]. At the age of twenty he went to sea and rapidly came to the fore as a good sailor and skillful trader.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Hopkins, Esek|volume=13|page=684}}</ref> Before the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] he had sailed to nearly every quarter of the Earth, and commanded a [[privateer]] in the [[French and Indian War]]. In the interval between voyages, he was engaged in Rhode Island politics, served as a deputy to the [[Rhode Island General Assembly]], and rendered efficient support to his brother [[Stephen Hopkins (politician)|Stephen]], who became governor in 1755.<ref name="EB1911"/> In September 1764, during his time as a privateer and merchant, Hopkins took command of the slave ship ''Sally'', owned by [[Nicholas Brown Sr.|Nicholas Brown and Company]].<ref>[http://www.stg.brown.edu/projects/sally/ "Voyage of the Slave Ship Sally", ''Brown University'']</ref> Hopkins had no prior experience in operating a slave-trading vessel at the time, and the 15-month voyage would result in the death of 109 out of 196 slaves. In late 1765, ''Sally'' arrived at its first trading destination in the [[West Indies]], but the surviving African captives were in such poor health that most sold for very little. Hopkins' disastrous command of ''Sally'' contributed to [[Moses Brown|Moses Brown's]] turn against participation in the [[Atlantic slave trade]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title="2. Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Brown University" in Report of the Brown University Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice|url=https://digitalpublications.brown.edu/read/first-readings-2020/section/e64a628d-1233-47df-9a2e-2661d005e6fa|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-18|website=|language=en-US}}</ref>