see more

Commodore Stephen Decatur (1779-1820), American naval officer, 19th century (1908). Decatur was notable for his heroism in the Barbary Wars and in the War of 1812. He was the youngest man to reach the rank of captain in the history of the United States Navy, and the first American celebrated as a national military hero who had not played a role in the American Revolution. From The Story of the White House, volume I, by Esther Singleton, published by Hodder and Stoughton (London, 1908). (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

Commodore Stephen Decatur (1779-1820), American naval officer, 19th century (1908). Decatur was notable for his heroism in the Barbary Wars and in the War of 1812. He was the youngest man to reach the rank of captain in the history of the United States Navy, and the first American celebrated as a national military hero who had not played a role in the American Revolution. From The Story of the White House, volume I, by Esther Singleton, published by Hodder and Stoughton (London, 1908). (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)