Following a 64-day siege, Havana was taken in 1762. It was the main post captured by the British Army in Hispanic America.
The age-old, endless desires of the English to continue with their conquests in Spanish America were once again stirred up during one of the many rifts between Spain and England during the 18th Century. The British government was busy with a project to purposefully start another war between the two nations which involved the taking of Havana, considered to be the military port of New Spain. The aim of this was threefold: firstly, the closing off of access to the Atlantic Ocean to the fortunes leaving America, secondly the opening of free trade for English shipping in the local seas, and thirdly, to threaten the other Antilles islands and further territories that did not belong to them. To turn attention away from the real aim of the project, word was spread that the forces were to be stationed in Santa Domingo, using the excuse that this island was closer to Martinique than to Cuba.
On the 6th of June, a powerful fleet made up of 70 battleships and 20,000 men and led by Admiral Pocock appeared outside of Havana. The General in charge of the land forces, appointed by George III, was Lieutenant General George Keppel, Earl of Albermarle and the island was defended under the command of General Juan de Prado Portocarrero.
The taking of Morro Castle (Castillo del Morro), the main bastion of the city’s defenses, was the key objective of the English. On the 29th of July, Albemarle’s troops, who were set up in Guanabacoa and in the hills around La Cabaña, descended on and took Morro Castle. The defense of the fort by the 4,000 men led by Luis de Velasco was significant and de Velasco, who died during the siege, was considered a great hero.
The Spanish authorities made no efforts to remove the Crown’s or the people’s wealth from the city. The loot gained from the city was several million minted silver pesos and eleven unscathed battleships as well as considerable amounts of merchandise. “The leaders of the operation, the Earl of Albermarle and Admiral Pocock, both received over half a million pesos for their efforts, whilst each soldier was given little more than twenty pesos and slightly less to each sailor”.
Since before the middle of the 18th Century, the British government had tried to take control of the island of Cuba. From around this period, discontent towards the Spanish was clear and was even expressed in documents written during this period. The sworn declaration by a man named Toler, onboard the ship “Boyle” in Guantanamo bay stated that they wanted the English to conquer the island to free them from the tyranny of the Spanish. Previously, the peasants had rebelled and had laid siege to Havana, putting in a difficult situation the authorities who finally reached an agreement with the popular masses, using Bishop Agustín Morell of Santa Cruz as mediator.
Prior to the British attempt of 1762, a more significant attempt took place on the 18th of July, 1741, when the English landed on the island and carried a geographical survey, based on which they believed that the island was undefended. After landing, General Wentworth and his troops reached Santa Catalina (Guantánamo) and began organizing his troops, planning to march towards and conquer Santiago de Cuba, around 150 km away. However, he was not expecting the tropical diseases which struck his troops, including fever and dysentery and therefore aborted his mission. During the eleven months of occupation, Cuba enjoyed sharp economic growth, stimulated by certain measures imposed by the English, such as the opening of trading ports, and the importation of slaves that the badly-hit economy desperately needed. However, despite all of this, relations between the people of Havana and the English were never good as the Cubans considered them to be an occupying force.
In July, 1763, England and Spain reached an agreement in which part of Florida would remain in English hands in exchange for Havana. The English erected a monument to Velasco in Westminster Abbey and during many decades, on sailing past Noja (Velasco’s birthplace), the British naval ships would fire their cannons as homage to the Spanish hero.
Written by Jesús Castro
Translated by Rachael Harrison
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