Hispanic America USA
Hispanics in the American Revolution Home
Copyright (c) 1996-Present All Rights
Reserved
American Revolution Home
This page submitted by Dr. Thomas E. Chavez, Director of the Govenors
Muesum, Santa Fe, N.M
Courtesy of the New Mexico Magazine and is a monthly magazine published by
the Department of Tourism, State of New Mexico, for more information on the
New Mexico Magazine @
http://www.nets.com/newmextourism/
1492 . . . . {500}. . . ...Quincentennial Edition...1992
Director, Palace of the Govenors Muesum
Post Office Box 2087, Santa Fe, New Mexico
(505) 827-6473
In 1785, George Washington, recently "retired to the country life," wrote
a friendly letter to Carlos III, the King of Spain, thanking him for a recent
gift. Washington knew that Carlos III had been generous in his support of
the birth of the fledgling United States during the War of Indenpendence.
For at least five years, Spain had sent more supplies and money than had
been requested to help the American Rebels succeed in what must have appeared
to be an impossible dream. Spanish men from the peninsula and throughout
the Americas fought in the conflict.
The American Revolution used funds collected from people living in the
present states of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California--then a part
of Mexico. An important percentage of financial support originated in New
Spain, now called Mexico. Eventually, thousands of Spanish troops fought
British troops throughout the Americas.
Britain, France and Spain had extensive colonial holdings that they used
the strictest mercantile sense. Colonies existed to benefit the mother country--to
garner wealth and therefore, power, which translated to a well-trained and
equipped navy and army. To become powerful, a country needed to sell more
than she bought. and control as much territory as possible.
After nearly half a century, inconclusive warfare was about to transform
into the era of revolution with the rebellion of 13 British colonies. Carlos
III's Spain eased into this disturbance to become a deciding factor. With
spain's involvement came a number of individuals who contributed to the birth
and independence of the United States of America.
The Marquis de Grimaldi, who preceded and handpicked Count Floridablanca
as minister of state, oversaw the initial secret aid to the Colonies. He set
the governmental tone and policy that Floridablanca inherited and continued.
Spain's entire effort in the struggle was overseen by Floridablanca. Described
as wily, clever and astute by some people people, and as devious by detractors,
Floridablanca concocted a strategy of patience before committing his country
to war. After Spain declared war on Britain, Floridablanca oversaw an aggressive
effort.
Floridablanca stuck to a plan that would achieve Spain's stated goals.
From the beginning of negotiations, Floridablanca and the Marquis de Gimaldi
made clear what Spain wanted in exchange for her alliance to France. As reiterated
on many ocasions, Spain wanted: Gibraltar; Minorca; the Floridas, especially
Pensacola; Jamaica and the Bahamas; Mexico, Honduras and Compeche coasts
cleared of British establishments; and Britain out of Central America. Floridablanca
strove to achieve these objectives until peace was made in 1783.
Only the Colonies, by winning their independence, were more successful
than Spain in garnering spoils of war. When the war ended, Spain had everything
but Jamaica and Gibraltar.
Floridablanca was careful not to send mixed signals to Spain's colonies.
He did not openly recognize the rebelling British colonies. Nor did he want
to alienate Britain before Spain joined in the engagement. In maintaining
Spain's diplomatic etiquette, Floridablanca insisted that official business
with the Americans be handled through Spain"s Minister to France, who was
stationed in Paris. For this reason, Pedro Pablo y Bolea, the Count of Aranda,
became a prominent person in the
American Colonies' attempt to arrange aid.
Aranda, who later replaced and imprisoned his longtime rival Floridablanca,
met with the first U.S. commission- Benjamin Franklin, Silas Deane and Arthur
Lee. The Continental Congress had charged the commissioners in late 1776
to travel to Europe and seek foreign help in breaking the British naval blockadge
along the North American coast. Aranda invited the commission to his house,
where he quickly learned that there would be a language problem because "Franklin
speaks very little French, Deane much less and Lee none."
In the course of his ambassadorship in Paris, Aranda became fond of the
fledgling Colonies and their stuggle. Lacking Floridablanca's patience, Aranda
recomended an early and open Spanish commitment to the Colonies. He was overruled
and obediently accepted the decision. Perhaps he was placated by the knowledge
that Spain matched France's overt aird with
covert support of its own.
One of the more important figures to assist the Colonies' struggle for
independence was Bernardo de Gálvez. He helped the cause through diplomatic,
financial and military exploits against Great Britain in the Mississippi
River Valley, the Gulf Coast, including the Floridas, Louisiana and in in
the Gulf of Mexico. from 1776, when he became govenor of Louisiana, until
1783 when the American Revolution ended, Gálvez's patience, audacity,
appreciation of frontier people, diplomatic knowledge and military skill
greatly contributed to the eventual British defeat.
He arrived in Louisiana with explicit royal instructions that reflected
the commitment of Carlos III to restore Spain's international prestige and
grandeur through economic reform, government restructuring and innovation
in colonial enterprise. An anti-British, pro-colonial attitude was
impicit in his orders and obvious in his activities.
Although he did not advocate the republican or democratic principles that
the Revolution came to symbolize, he was representative of the enlightened
spirit of 18th century regeneration and reform. More importantly, his monarch
wanted to recoup the losses of the recently conluded Seven Years War won by
Britain. The North American rebels not only provided the opportunity but
also had the demonstrated potential of becoming a future and lucrative trading
partner.
Long before Spain declared war on Britain, the colonials received aid
from the peninsula. In 1776 spain dispatched one of its largest fleets to
the Americas, where it smashed British smuggling operations along the Brazilian
coast and took Uruguay from the Portuguese,