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Commercial disputes in the Caribbean, maritime pursuits, and the case involving Captain Robert Jenkins put Great Britain and Spain at war between 1739 and 1748.
The War of Jenkins’ Ear received one of the most peculiar names in military history. The conflict placed Great Britain and Spain on opposing sides during the 18th century.
The episode involving the mutilation of British Captain Robert Jenkins helped name the war. The true causes, however, were linked to trade, smuggling, and control of the seas.
Commercial dispute increased tension in the Caribbean
The Spanish Empire controlled extensive American territories at the beginning of the 18th century. Great Britain, in turn, sought to expand its business in the Spanish colonies.
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British merchants tried to sell products without authorization in markets closed to foreigners. Spanish authorities intensified patrols to prevent these operations.
According to EBSCO, Spanish guards searched ships, confiscated goods, and interrogated crews considered suspicious.
Violent approaches were also recorded during these inspections. Smuggling, therefore, became one of the main points of friction between the two empires.
A severed ear turned Jenkins into a symbol
Spanish coast guards intercepted Robert Jenkins’ ship in April 1731, near Havana, Cuba.
The vessel had departed from Jamaica heading to London. A Spanish officer allegedly cut off one of the captain’s ears during the inspection.
Accounts from the time claim that the ear was returned to Jenkins. The guards also reportedly ordered him to show the wound to the British king as a warning.
The incident remained relatively forgotten for a few years. British politicians revived the story when commercial tensions with Spain increased.
Robert Jenkins was summoned to testify before the British Parliament in 1738. His case came to represent the abuses committed against subjects of the Crown.
Victory in Portobelo excited Great Britain
The war officially began in 1739. Many Britons believed that Spanish power in the Americas was weakened.
Forces commanded by Admiral Edward Vernon captured Portobelo, in present-day Panama, in November of that year.
The victory sparked great celebrations in Great Britain. Vernon was turned into a national hero, while new conquests seemed near.
Defeat in Cartagena changed the course of the war
A massive British offensive was launched against Cartagena de Indias, in present-day Colombia, in 1741.
Dozens of ships and thousands of soldiers participated in the operation. The British expectation was to quickly conquer the important Spanish fortress.
The defense led by Admiral Blas de Lezo stopped the advance. Strategic fortifications and errors by the invaders favored the Spaniards.
Tropical diseases further worsened the situation. Yellow fever, malaria, and other illnesses killed thousands of British soldiers.
Unable to overcome the resistance, the expedition abandoned Cartagena after weeks of failed attacks.
George Anson captured a valuable Spanish galleon
Admiral George Anson led a circumnavigation voyage between 1740 and 1744.
Storms, supply shortages, and diseases hit his squadron. Even so, Anson captured the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Covadonga.
The vessel carried a valuable cargo of silver from Asia. The seizure ensured an important financial gain for Great Britain.
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ended the conflict
The War of Jenkins’ Ear lost its own identity after 1740. The beginning of the War of the Austrian Succession expanded the fighting across Europe.
Commercial disputes in the Caribbean took a back seat in the face of the new international scenario.
The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle officially ended the confrontations in 1748. According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Royal Museums Greenwich, the agreement restored much of the previous situation.
No significant territorial change was established. The war, however, remained remembered for its curious name and the story of Robert Jenkins’ ear.
Did you imagine that such a broad trade dispute could become known just for the episode involving the ear of a British captain?
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