David Porter (naval officer)

David Porter
David Porter
	A portrait of Porter as a captain in the United States Navy
United States Minister Resident to the Ottoman Empire
	In office; May 23, 1840 – March 3, 1843
President	Martin Van Buren ; William Henry Harrison ; John Tyler
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Dabney S. Carr
Chargé d'Affaires of the United States to the Ottoman Empire
	In office; September 13, 1831 – May 23, 1840
President	Andrew Jackson; Martin Van Buren
Preceded by	George W. Erving
Succeeded by	Himself as Minister Resident
Personal details
Born	February 1, 1780; Boston, Massachusetts
Died	March 3, 1843 (aged 63); Constantinople, Ottoman Empire
Spouse	Evelina Anderson
Children	10, including David Dixon Porter
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States (1798–1825) ; Mexico (1826–1829)
Branch/service	United States Navy; Mexican Navy
Rank	Commodore
Commands	USS Amphitheatre; USS Constitution; USS Enterprise; New Orleans station (US Navy); USS Essex; USS Firefly; West Indies Squadron
Battles/wars	Quasi War Constellation vs L'Insurgente; Action of 1 January 1800 (WIA); ; First Barbary War Action of 2 June 1803 (WIA); Action of 31 October 1803 (POW); ; War of 1812 USS Essex vs HMS Alert; Action off Charles Island; Nuku Hiva Campaign; Battle of Valparaiso; ; West Indies Anti-Piracy Operations;

David Porter (February 1, 1780 – March 3, 1843) was an American naval officer and diplomat. Porter commanded a number of U.S. naval ships. He saw service in the First Barbary War, the War of 1812 and in the West Indies. During the War of 1812, Porter captained USS Essex, and originated the American motto of "Free trade and sailors' rights". When Porter raided Spanish territory without orders in 1822, he was court-martialed and resigned his commission. Afterwards, Porter joined and became commander-in-chief of the Mexican Navy.

Porter County, Indiana is named after him.