U.S. Independence: From Great Britain, Not Spain

Clarifying American Independence

The United States did not gain independence from Spain. The U.S. declared independence from Great Britain on July 4, 1776, and secured formal recognition with the Treaty of Paris (1783).

Spain's Role in the American Revolution

• Spain entered the war as an ally of France (1779), not directly allied with the U.S.
• Spanish forces captured British posts in West Florida, Mobile, and Pensacola
• Spain provided covert financial aid and supplies via New Orleans
• Spain regained East/West Florida in the 1783 treaty

Later U.S.–Spain Relations

• Adams–Onís Treaty (1819): U.S. acquired Florida from Spain
• Spanish–American War (1898): U.S. acquired Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines

The U.S. has never been a Spanish colony; its colonial origins are British (and to a lesser extent Dutch, Swedish, French).