David Porter (naval officer)
| David Porter | |
|---|---|
A painting of Porter as a captain in the American navy.
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| Born | February 1, 1780 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | March 3, 1843 (aged 63) Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (now Istanbul, Turkey) |
| Allegiance |
 United States of America Mexico
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| Service/branch |
 United States Navy Mexican Navy
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| Years of service | 1798–1825 (United States) Mexico (1826–1829) |
| Rank | Commodore |
| Commands held |
USS Amphitheatre USS Constitution USS Enterprise New Orleans Squadron USS Essex USS Firefly West Indies Squadron |
| Battles/wars | West Indies Anti-Piracy Operations |
David Porter (February 1, 1780 – March 3, 1843) was an officer in the United States Navy in the rank of captain and the honorary title of commodore. Porter commanded a number of U.S. naval ships, including the famous USS Constitution. He saw service in the First Barbary War, the War of 1812 and in the West Indies. On July 2, 1812, Porter hoisted the banner "Free trade and sailors' rights" as captain of the USS Essex. The phrase resonated with many Americans and became a standard summary of U.S. war aims in 1812. Porter was later court martialed; he resigned and then joined and became commander-in-chief of the Mexican Navy.
Born at Boston, Massachusetts, Porter served in the Quasi-War with France first as midshipman on board USS Constellation, participating in the capture of L’Insurgente February 9, 1799; secondly, as 1st lieutenant of Experiment and later in command of USS Amphitheatre. During the First Barbary War (1801–07) Porter was 1st lieutenant of Enterprise, New York and Philadelphia and was taken prisoner when Philadelphia ran aground in Tripoli harbor October 31, 1803. After his release on June 3, 1805, he remained in the Mediterranean as acting captain of USS Constitution and later captain of Enterprise.
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