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Secondary sourcePainting1898

USS Ranger

Edward Moran · 1898

The sloop of war commanded by John Paul Jones that received the first salute to the American flag by a foreign power and carried out raids on Britain.

Jones commanded the Ranger when it received the first French salute to the American flag.

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Oil painting of sailing ships on choppy sea under a blue sky. A large dark-hulled ship with white sails and an American flag at its masthead sits in the foreground, with a small boat with rowers nearby. Several tall-masted ships with smoke and flags appear in the distance. Signed Edward Moran.
Edward Moran, First Recognition of the American Flag by a Foreign Government, oil on canvas, 1898. U.S. Naval Academy Museum, Annapolis.

About this source

What it is

USS Ranger was an 18-gun sloop of the Continental Navy, in service from 1777 to 1780. This 1898 painting by Edward Moran depicts the Ranger, commanded by Captain John Paul Jones, receiving a salute from a French naval squadron at Quiberon Bay in February 1778.

Why it matters

This salute was the first formal recognition of the American flag by a foreign government, coming soon after France recognized American independence and allied with the colonies. It marked an important diplomatic milestone, and Jones's command of the Ranger also included raids on the British coast.

Look closer

  • Why would a naval salute be considered such an important historical symbol?
  • This painting was made over a century after the event—how might that distance affect its accuracy?
  • What role did France's alliance play in the American Revolution, based on this event?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of John Paul Jones on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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