The War of Jenkins' Ear 1739

In 1739, the mighty Spanish and British Empires fought a war all because of a severed ear belonging to one Robert Jenkins

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What was the War of Jenkins' Ear?

Well, like a lot of wars there were conflicting reasons but the casus belli (or popular cause) was the boarding of British merchant ships in the Caribbean by Spanish authorities who accused them of smuggling.

On one of these occasions in 1731, a brig named the Rebecca was boarded in the seas between the Spanish colonies of Cuba and Florida.
The captain of the Rebecca, a Welshman by the name of Robert Jenkins was tied to the mast and his ear sliced with a cutlass. Then it was pulled off.

Jenkins subsequently gave evidence to a parliamentary enquiry and produced his ear.

This publicity stunt galvanised the hawks in the British government and Great Britain declared war on Spain.
The War lasted from 1739 - 1742 when it was subsumed into the larger War of Austrian Succession and quietly wound up.
Who won the War of Jenkins’ Ear?

Well, the British under Admiral Vernon captured the Spanish base at Porobello in Panama and defeated a Spanish invasion of Georgia at the Battle of Bloody Marsh.

On the other hand, their own invasion of Florida was defeated. And when they tried to storm Cartagena de Indies (in modern day Colombia), the Spanish under veteran commander, Blas de Lezo, inflicted massive casualties on Vernon’s force.

The only other highlight in the War of Jenkins Ear was the capture of a Spanish treasure ship (containing 1 million gold coins) by Commodore George Anson.
Anson in HMS Centurion circumnavigated the globe during this Anson Expedition.
In the peace treaty of 1748, the status quo was restored.
So basically neither side had achieved any advantage.
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Chapters

0:00 Introduction
0:45 Causes of the war
2:38 Robert Jenkins
4:13 Other Causes
6:39 Edward Vernon
7:12 Captured Portobello
8:14 Blas de Lezo
9:35 Attack on Cartagena de Indies
12:21 Battle of Bloody Marsh
13:52 War of Austrian Succession
14:42 George Anson
15:53 The Winner
18:13 Rule Britannia

Books used for this production included:
"The Age of Oligarchy" - G. Holmes & D. Szechi
"Hanover & Great Britain 1740-1760" - Urile Dann
"England in the 18th Century" - J.H. Plumb
"The Whig Supremacy" - Basil Williams
"Pursuit of Glory" - Tim Blanning

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My name is Chris Green and I love to share stories from British history. Not just because they are interesting but because, good or bad, they have shaped the world we live in today.

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