George Washington & Spain

Synopsis by Eva García

It was a cold and damp 14th of December, in the year of our Lord 1799. The hands on the clock marked just half an hour until traditional teatime of 5 o’clock. General Washington was lying in his bed, with no signs of improvement and he had asked Martha to bring him the two wills that were on his table. He reviewed them carefully and gave one to his wife for her to destroy in the fireplace.

From this moment, 220 years ago, we embark on a journey through time, which brings to light the relevance of first US president George Washington’s relationship to Spain. Through its military, businesspeople, farmers, ranchers, diplomats, and the strategic leadership of monarch King Carlos III, Spain was a leader in supporting the Thirteen Colonies, which would turn into a first world power: The United States of America.

In order to understand this relationship, we look back upon its origin and we present the reader with a fascinating journey, tracing the steps of the Spanish military on American soil. We shall walk alongside some of our heroes and, by doing so, we shall rediscover some of our expeditions, the most well-known and the almost forgotten. With an iron will, we shall recover some of them in these pages, where they shall clamor to take their rightful place in history. At the beginning of our journey, we will briefly cover some of the actions initiated by the Catholic Monarchs, including the application of the Law of Nations, the Laws of the Indies, and the abolition of slavery as a historical, social, and humanitarian event of the utmost importance.

It is a fleeting overview of 300 years on the importance of the legacy of the Spanish Army and Armada in America, highlighting the magnanimity of the Spanish people, which is the solid foundation of the bridges that centuries later would lead us to fight in the War of Independence alongside its first president, General George Washington.