Early Life and Education
Born near Hempstead, New York on Long Island, Truxtun was the only son of an English country lawyer. He lost his father at a young age and was taken to Jamaica on Long Island with relatives and placed under the care of a close friend, John Troup. Having little chance for a formal education he joined the crew of the British merchant ship Pitt at an early age of 12. Truxtun went against his father's previous wishes for him to pursue a career in politics and so at the age of twelve he left his home in Jamaica and joined the merchant Marine.
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