John Young (c. 1740–1781) was a captain in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War, commander of the Saratoga which was lost at sea.
He began his seafaring career at an early age in the colonial merchant marine and, at the start of the American Revolution, was commissioned 23rd on the list of captains in the Continental Navy.
On 20 September 1776, the Continental Congress directed Young to take the sloop-of-war USS Independence to Martinique to protect American mercantile shipping in the West Indies.
Young took her to sea on 13 August 1780 and, in the course of the ship's first cruise, captured one prize before she returned to port for repairs and alterations.
Largely as a result of his dedication and emphasis on training, Saratoga compiled a distinguished, but altogether brief, record before her untimely and unexplained loss.