Spain Enters the American War
June 21, 1779
Charles III declared war on Britain, hoping to recover Gibraltar and Florida. Spanish forces in Louisiana, under the young governor Bernardo de Galvez, would sweep British posts from Baton Rouge to Pensacola. The Great Siege of Gibraltar, Europe's longest, would go on for three and a half more years. Spain's contribution to American independence, often overlooked, was critical in stretching British resources across multiple theaters.
In context
Also in 1779 (3 other events on record)
- Cook Killed at Kealakekua Bay · Oceania · Exploration
- Crompton Invents the Spinning Mule · Europe · Science
- Hawaiian Priests Return Cook's Bones · Oceania · Exploration
Before and after in Europe
Before and after in War
Era
Enlightenment (1651–1800), one of 696 events from that era on Saeculum.