Honoring Our Spanish Allies, Visiting with UO Daughters

Our exciting itinerary includes the opportunity to rededicate a plaque placed in 2006 to honor Spanish support of the American Revolution at the Casa de America in Madrid; and to dedicate two new tile plaques, one to honor Bernardo de Galvez in his hometown of Macharaviaya (where the mayor is hosting us for lunch) and a second to thank the people of Malaga, who donated funds to support the cause of the American Revolution. How thrilling it is to honor Spanish support of ancestors’ quest for independence!

Spain’s contributions are an important chapter to our American victory. King Carlos III chose to support the Revolutionaries by allying with France as part of his political strategy. In 1776, as the result of centuries of conflict, the British controlled Menorca and Gibraltar – key to Spain’s defense of its coast – and the French held Louisiana. When France agreed to return Louisiana as part of an alliance to support the Americans against the British, Spain agreed to enter the war.

Even earlier, support had been provided informally, e.g. some of the first imported weapons purchased by New Englanders came from Spain in 1775. Along with military troops, Spain supplied the Americans with desperately needed arms, blankets, shoes and currency. From 1779 through 1782, Galvez, as the Spanish Governor of Louisiana, conducted a series of decisive military actions against the British to successfully retake forts in the Mississippi River Valley and at Baton Rouge, Natchez, Mobile and Pensacola.

Another substantial form of Spain's support for the Americans involved a strategy of joining other European nations in tying up British naval resources by occupying them elsewhere. With France, Spain and The Netherlands engaged, the British Navy could not effectively concentrate its military force in America. Spanish ships even joined with those of France in the naval blockade of the British army at Yorktown in 1781, preventing General Cornwallis's resupply and resulting in his surrender.

Please note that I will not be blogging during the trip, but intend to post highlights of each day’s activities on my DAR President General’s Facebook page. I invite you to tag along by following our delegation throughout the planned activities by checking the page frequently. You won’t want to miss a single stop! Buen viaje!