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At Concord Museum forum, historian details Spain's role in diverting British forces during the Revolution
Summary
Richard Bell told the Concord Museum audience Spain committed forces and campaigns (Florida, Central America, Gibraltar) that forced Britain to redeploy troops, helping patriots by stretching British military attention globally.
At the Concord Museum forum Richard Bell outlined Spain's consequential but indirect role in the American Revolutionary War, saying Spain fought Britain in other theaters and thereby drew British resources away from North America. "Spain commits as many military resources, if not more, than France to the American Revolutionary War, but it doesn't do it in the I-95 corridor," Bell said.
Bell explained that Spain was not formally allied to the American patriots but instead to France; through that transitive relationship Spain engaged British holdings in Florida, Central America and, most dramatically, the prolonged siege of Gibraltar. "The siege of British Gibraltar... takes 60,000 soldiers, Spanish, and lasts 3.5 years," Bell said, and though it ultimately failed it demanded British attention and contributed to a global redistribution of forces.
He noted Spain's strategic objectives included reclaiming territory such as Florida and targeting valuable Caribbean colonies, forcing Britain to defend distant possessions and thereby reducing the troops available in North America. The forum discussion emphasized that understanding Spain's role complicates narratives that focus solely on France's support for the patriots.
