In the history of Spain often has forgotten relevant events, perhaps because of that character that we Spaniards have in general, of not knowing or wanting to defend our own history. We have been credited with sinking ships that were not as was the case with The USS Maine, all for the US interest in Cuba. know what they were Spanish Republican troops the first to enter Paris, freeing it from the Nazi invasion, another unknown piece of our history. In this article we will know the importance of Spain in the Independence of the USA, cow Spain collaborated, why did it. A part of our history that we have entitled The Spanish Help in the Independence of the United States.
The Spanish Help in the Independence of the United States
To place ourselves in the historical context, the formation of the United States is mainly due to the so-called group of the Thirteen Colonies. These 13 colonies of British origin, had been founded during the 16th and 17th centuries, located on the eastern or Atlantic coast, They were the first colonies to declare their independence from Great Britain in 1776. form the United States of America.
these colonies they maintained very similar systems of government, all under the influence of the English Protestant church. Although they were not the only British possessions on the continent, they were they were the ones that accumulated the most autonomy. They had an electoral system for the election of mayors, little by little the colonies needed less and less from the great metropolis, trade between the different colonies behind Great Britain and an increasingly high autonomy, managed to develop a sense of American identity.
In 1750 the settlers who had been born and raised in the American continent felt less and less attachment to the metropolis, they feel american and as such they request great britain greater representation and self-governance. The little interest that Great Britain paid to these requirements provoked more and more complaints, leading inexorably to a revolution that ended with the creation of a Continental Congress and with the declaration of independence in 1776.
The Spanish Help in the Independence of the United States
Spanish First Aid
With the declaration of Independence of the thirteen colonies, war is declared against the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Spain’s position since the beginning was to support the American colonies at first in a hidden way, financing part of the expenses.
Spain did aid supplies arrive to the colonies using 4 main routes: From the French ports of New Orleans, through the Mississippi River, from Havana and from the port of Bilbao.
With the money sent from Spain, the famous spanishdollars, the public debt was guaranteed and the first US currency, the dollar, was minted.
as an anecdote the famous $ symbolis nothing more than the representation of the Spanish shield, the columns of Hercules are the 2 vertical bars and the Plus Ultra band, forms the S.
215 bronze cannons, 30,000 carabiners and bayonets were supplied, as well as bullets, gunpowder, grenades, tents and even uniforms. Spain was in charge of supplying everything necessaryincluding gold, at a fledgling and disorganized US militarywhich lacked the most basic where we include clothing or uniforms.
After equipping the American Armythis began to reap its fruits as the victory in the battle Of Saratoga, what encouraged France to support the independence of the colonies, almost more as a personal matter against Great Britain, as it would happen to Spain, than out of a real interest in supporting the birth of a new nation.
The multiple losses that the British Empire had caused in the Spanish coffers during the 7 years warwas more than enough reason to ally with France who also sought to weaken the Empire.
On June 22, 1779, Spain through the Treaty of Aranjuezwill join France and declare war on England, a war that will go down in history as the Anglo-Spanish war.
The Spanish Help in the Independence of the United States
The Anglo-Spanish War
One of the main contributions in the Spanish help in the independence of the United States was the use of our Navy. A navy capable of nullifying one of the main British military assets, its own fleet.
First was Luis de Cordova who cleared the English Channel of British ships, achieving the perfect conditions to invade Great Britain, a wish that no one had achieved since the Invincible Armada in the time of Felipe II. But this time it would not be possible either, this attempt was aborted after terrible weather conditions and an epidemic that decimated the contingent, leaving a trail of 15,000 deaths.
But the Spaniards would also fight for their interests on the European continent, the idea of recover Menorca and Gibraltar They were a priority, a territory that they occupied taking advantage of the War of Succession after the death of King Carlos II.
Luis de Cordova with its action in European waters managed to capture 63 British ships, belonging to a double convoy that in 1780 traveled to the American colonies, with its warehouses loaded with war supplies such as muskets, gunpowder, provisions, naval effects, clothing, more than 1,000,000 pounds sterling for payments, in addition to 52 ships. This loss dealt a severe blow to British morale.
In 1781 and thanks to the support of the French Navy, Menorca surrendered, annexing to Spain More than eighty years after its illegal occupation by the British, however, the same fate did not befall Gibraltar Square, which, as we all know, is still a British square.
The Spanish Help in the Independence of the United States
In the Caribbean
It tried by all means prevent the British from landing in Cubasomething that had already happened in the 7-year war in which a British contingent seized Havana.
On the continent the war was also maintained, with a proper name Count Bernardo de Galvez by then Governor of Spanish Louisiana who led offensives against the British forts that had been established on the Mississippi. The fall of Fort Bute, victory in the battle of baton rouge as well as the conquest of Natchez and Mobile. The Count also dared to launch an offensive against Pensacola becoming Spanish territory in 1781 and thus closing any attempted British offensive across the Mississippi River.
But the British they were not going to sit idly by, now the war was also against Spain and Spanish interests, so they tried planning an attack against Spanish interests in Nicaragua.
The Spanish Help in the Independence of the United States
end of the war
But none of his attempts to seize San Fernando de Omoa or against Fortress of the Immaculate Conceptionended up successfully, being forced to withdraw to their possessions on the island of Jamaica.
Later, the successes reaped by the Spaniards with the capture of the bahamasoccupied by British settlers who had been expelled after the battle at Yorktown and when they were preparing to invade the island of Jamaica, the war is over. Great Britain called for an end to the war, fact that was initialed with the Treaty of Paris.
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