Spain sided with France against the United Kingdom in the Seven Years’ War. Britain declared war on Spain on January 4, 1762, and launched an Anglo-American expedition to capture Havana, the third largest city in the New World, and essential to Spanish transatlantic communications (and the supply of wealth from the Indies to Spain). On June, Lord Albemarle landed troops at Cojímar, while Sir George Pocock took the main fleet to Havana, which surrendered in mid-August, following a siege and a bloody assault on El Morro fort (gallantly defended by Luis de Velasco Isla). Britain failed to conquer the entire island and many Havanese were able to flee into the interior with such goods as they could take with them. The city was returned to Spain in 1763, in exchange for Florida. The influence of the occupation on the city and on the development of the Cuban economy has long been regarded as decisive. For the first time, legal trade with all countries was allowed, including the ending of controls on the African slave trade, with consequent increased importation and sale of slaves.
ECONOMIC CHANGES FOR A SUCCESSFUL CUBA TRANSITION
July 27, 2023
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Note: Under the auspices of the George W. Bush administration and in the hope that Cuba’s transition to a democratic society would
1 thought on “British Occupation”
La típica apología a la ocupación británica sembrada en nuestra historiografía primero por la historiografía liberal, luego la comunista. A ver si estudiamos de verdad lo que era La Habana antes de ser entregada a los invasores anglosajones, con relación a cualquier ciudad europea, incluida la vetusta e insana de Londres.
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