Hopkins was born on April 26, 1718 in Scituate, Rhode Island. He belonged to one of the most prominent Puritan families of New England. Hopkins was the brother of Rhode Island governor Stephen Hopkins, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and first Brown chancellor in conjunction with the tenure of president James Manning.
At the age of twenty Hopkins went to sea, and rapidly came to the front as a good sailor and skilful trader. He became commodore of a fleet of seventeen merchantmen, the movements of which he directed with skill and energy. In war as well as peace, Hopkins was establishing his reputation as one of the leading colonial seamen, for as captain of a privateer he made more than one brilliant and successful venture during the Seven Years' War. In the interval between voyages, moreover, he was engaged in Rhode Island politics, and rendered efficient support to his brother Stephen against the Ward faction. At the outbreak of the War of Independence, Hopkins was appointed brigadier-general by Rhode Island, was commissioned, December 1775, by the Continental Congress, commander-in-chief of the navy, and in January 1776 hoisted his flag as admiral of the eight converted merchantmen which then constituted the navy of the United States. His first cruise resulted in a great acquisition of material of war and an indecisive fight with H. M. S. "Glasgow. " At first this created great enthusiasm, but criticism soon made itself heard. Hopkins and two of his captains were tried for breach of orders, and, though ably defended by John Adams, were censured by Congress. The commands, nevertheless, were not interfered with, and a prize was soon afterwards named after the admiral by their orders. But the difficulties and mutual distrust continually increased, and in 1777 Congress summarily dismissed Hopkins from his command, on the complaint of some of his officers. Before the order arrived, the admiral had detected the conspiracy against him, and had had the ringleaders tried and degraded by court-martial. But the Congress followed up its order by dismissing him from the navy. For the rest of his life he lived in Rhode Island, playing a prominent part in state politics, and he died at Providence in 1802.
Hopkins was the first commodore of the United States Navy in the period of the American Revolution (1775-1783).
Founding member of the Society of the Cincinnati
Hopkins married Desire Burroughs (1724-1794) in November 1741. The marriage produced 9 children, including John Burroughs Hopkins (1742-1796), a participant in the Gaspee Affair, who later became a captain in the Continental Navy; and Susannah Hopkins (1756-1850), who married Jonathan Maxcy, a Baptist minister and second president of the formerly Baptist affiliated Brown University, which was then known as the College of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
Commodore, Commander in Chief
