The historical narrative has tended to minimize Spain's role in the struggle that led to the creation of the United States. For years, Spain discreetly provided essential resources such as weaponry, gunpowder, ammunition, uniforms, and funding to the American colonists in their fight against Great Britain. This assistance was crucial before Spain directly entered the war in 1779.
This period, known as the 'Discrete War', contrasts with the common perception that France was the only European ally of the colonists. The Spanish contribution was not only material but also included decisive military actions that severely impacted the British economy.
One of the events that has not come to light, or at least not as it should have, is related to the so-called Discrete War. This is how Spain's participation for several years in the war of the American colonists against Great Britain, which would lead to the independence of the United States of America, is known.
A prominent example of the effectiveness of the Spanish Navy was the blow struck on August 9, 1780. Under the command of Captain General don Luis de Córdova y Córdova, the Spanish fleet captured fifty-five British merchant ships in Cádiz. These convoys carried three thousand prisoners, eighty thousand rifles, three thousand barrels of gunpowder, and over a million pounds, an event that brought England to the brink of bankruptcy. This fact, often overshadowed by the Battle of Trafalgar, underscores the importance of Spanish intervention.
