Anglo-Spanish Conflicts in the Americas: Territorial Disputes and Wars

Centuries of Rivalry Across the Hemisphere

Spain and England (later Britain) clashed repeatedly in the Americas from the 16th to 18th centuries:

Flashpoints

1. Florida: Spanish St. Augustine (1565) vs. English raids (Drake 1586, later Carolinian incursions). Ceded to Britain 1763, back to Spain 1783, to US 1819.
2. Caribbean: Spanish monopoly challenged by English privateers (Hawkins, Drake) and settlers (Barbados 1627, Jamaica captured 1655). Sugar islands = wealth = war.
3. North American Southeast: English expansion (Charleston 1670) pressed into Spanish Guale/Mocama mission zone (Georgia coast). Border skirmishes constant.
4. Pacific Northwest: Late 18th c.: Spanish (Nootka) vs. British (Cook, Vancouver) claims; resolved by Nootka Conventions (1790s).

Major Wars

• Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604) – Armada, Caribbean raids, Dutch alliance.
• War of Jenkins' Ear (1739–48) – Trade disputes, Cartagena disaster.
• Seven Years' War (1756–63) – Global; Spain loses Florida, gains Louisiana.
• American Revolution (1775–83) – Spain allies with US/France; recovers Florida.

Treaty Settlements

• Treaty of Utrecht (1713) – Asiento, territorial adjustments.
• Treaty of Paris (1763, 1783) – Major redrawing.
• Adams-Onís Treaty (1819) – US gets Florida; Spain keeps Texas (briefly).

Conflict was driven by imperial rivalry, treasure fleets, and settlement pressure—not just local disputes.