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Spain and the Independence of the United States: An Intrinsic Gift

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The United States gained its independence from Great Britan thanks to two major foreign powers: Spain and France.

While the role of France has been acknowledge, the subsequent history of the United States has found "inconvenient" to remember that, without the Spanish Navy, Money, Soldiers and Logistics, this country of ours would still be a colony of Britain. In fact, the American Revolution becomes less of a miracle when we consider that the Spanish Empire fought on America's side since the beginning. Britain could not have defeated Spain, with its power, wealth, next-door armies and strategic positioning in the Western Hemisphere.

The Count of Gálvez carried out a masterful military campaign and defeated the British colonial forces at Manchac, Baton Rouge, and Natchez in 1779. The Battle of Baton Rouge on September 21, 1779 freed the lower Mississippi Valley of British forces and relieved the threat to the capital of Louisiana, New Orleans. In 1780, he recaptured Mobile from the British at the Battle of Fort Charlotte.

Gálvez's most important military victory over the British forces occurred May 9, 1781, when he attacked and took by land and by sea Pensacola, the British (and formerly, Spanish) capital of West Florida from General John Campbell of Strachur. The loss of Mobile and Pensacola left the British with no bases in the Gulf of Mexico, except for Jamaica. In 1782, he captured the British naval base at New Providence in the Bahamas. American historians agree that this victory at Pensacola was the decisive factor that ultimately won the War for Independence, which ended only 6 months later with the Battle of Yorktown.

In recognition of his work and help to the American cause, George Washington took the Count of Gálvez to his right in the parade of July 4th and the American Congress cited Gálvez for his aid during the Revolution.

Prof. Chavez explains this "self-induced amnesia" as the result of American's bad conscience for "stealing" Florida and the Lousiana Territory to Spain, the very country to which the United States owes its existence.

In his Farewell Address George Washington counselled against "foreign entanglements" - forgetting that the country had emerged only thanks to such entanglements. For without the covert, and then overt help of France and Spain, and the neutrality of many European countries, the Union would hardly have survived in the beginning, or achieved the generous final settlement setting it on its course to becoming a great power.

The French involvement is well remembered - Spain's role less so. It is the author's enduring merit to have drawn attention in this book to the strategic role played by Spain. For it is not just Galvez' conquest of Pensacola that changed the course of the war, but first the siege of Gibraltar, which forced Great Britain to split its forces and dealt Spain a better hand in Guatemala, the Mississippi, the Floridas, and then the Bahamas. Having bided its time in entering the war, Spain made good use of its intervention, securing many of the war aims it had set for itself, while setting the context for the Paris peace.

Spain's help was not limited to arms: it involved (even more critically) financial help and supplies. Powder, uniforms, and weapons were generously provided from the beginning - never to be repaid, except in the form of trade. A better overview of this part of the war effort would have been welcome. And the Spanish dollar became the basis for the new country's national coinage (pg. 216), certainly a subject worth further study.

The book is well structured: it properly focuses on the "entanglements" and their international repercussions and clearly separates the strategic from the tactical plane. One gains a better understanding of the international dimension of the war. From this point of view, it is well worth studying.

Regretfully, the text is based only on Spanish sources. British attitudes, if at all, are seen through the lens of Spanish correspondence. One would have wished a better review of the British reactions to the evolving situation, and London's own point of view as it tried to cope with the expansion from what was perceived as a "policing action" in Massachusetts to something akin to a world conflict war including an Indian theatre of war.

The author has sedulously studied the voluminous Spanish archive material, taking notes of letters and answers, or marginalia. Unfortunately they have not been kneaded into a narrative: too many disjoined indirect quotes are heaped unto each other, slowing the understanding. The maps are inadequate, and there is the occasional historical error (The Louisiana Purchase dates from 1803, and Joseph only became king of Spain in 1808 - this transaction was not a Bonaparte family affair as set out in pg. 221).

I couldn't wait to read this history, once I saw it on here, I had to get it. There is not much written about Spain's involvement in the Independence of the United States of America. Never understood that one. Overall, the book is very well written, detailed and balanced. Excellent research (author went to Spain to archives in Seville, Madrid, Spain) and came up with a very well scholarly written piece of art. I could not put the book to rest, felt like I was watching a movie. One of the best historical pieces I have read in a very long time. Most historical pieces are written against Spain ("THE DARK LEGEND") etc....poor Spain doesn't say a peep, I guess they let us figure out the FACTS and when we do, we are SHOCKED and AWED! Truth comes to light ! I would highly recommend this outstanding, well researched, scholarly work to any historian, curious person, or any person who would like to know more of Spain's involvement in the Independence of the United States of America.