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

by Chavez, Thomas E.

• ISBN13: 9780826327932
• ISBN10: 0826327931
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-04-01
• Publisher: Univ of New Mexico Pr

Summary

The role of Spain in the birth of the United States is a little known and little understood aspect of US independence. Through actual fighting, provision of supplies, and money, Spain helped the young British colonies to succeed in becoming an independent nation. Soldiers were recruited from all over the Spanish empire, from Spain itself and from throughout Spanish America. Many died fighting British soldiers and their allies in Central America, the Caribbean, along the Mississippi River from New Orleans to St. Louis and as far north as Michigan, along the Gulf Coast to Mobile and Pensacola, as well as in Europe. Based on primary research in the archives of Spain, this book is about United States history at its very inception, placing the war in its broadest international context. In short, the information in this book should provide a clearer understanding of the independence of the United States, correct a longstanding omission in its history, and enrich its patrimony. It will appeal to anyone interested in the history of the Revolutionary War and in Spain's role in the development of the Americas.

Table of Contents

Preface	vi
Introduction	1	(17)
From Defeat...and Victory, To 1777	18	(15)
Posturing Early: The Spanish Lakes and South America, from 1776	33	(12)
Independence and the Common Foe	45	(25)
Floridablanca and the Policy of patience	70	(19)
Duplicity in Favor of the Americans, 1777	89	(12)
Antebellum Anxiety, 1777-1779	101	(12)
Illinois to Guatemala: A Benevolent Neutrality and Preparation, 1778-1779	113	(13)
Negotiations and the Spanish Declaration of War	126	(11)
European Allies, 1779-1783	137	(13)
Central America: An Integral Defense, 1779-1783	150	(16)
The Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast-Casting the Dice	166	(18)
A Costly Blow to British Prestige, 1780-1781	184	(14)
Yorktown, the Bahamas, and Peace, 1781-1783	198	(15)
Conclusions and Epilogue	213	(10)
Appendices	223	(3)
Notes	226	(44)
Selected Bibliography	270	(9)
Index	279