My sister qualified for DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution ) through several lines. Last summer I discovered she qualified through her Spanish line.
Every American learns that the French saved Washington's army in the north. But Spain was also in the war against the British, and Spanish Louisiana struck from the south.
In about 1777 Spain recruited yeoman settler/militiamen and their families to settle some of the thinnest colonies. In my case these were from the Canaries and were called Los Islenos. Shiploads were dispatched to Louisiana, Puerto Rico, Texas, Argentina, and some other colonies. Recruits were given land, tools, guns, and a stipend. If you were over 5' 2" you got the premium package.
Galvez combined his home force, The Louisiana Regiment of Infantry, with Isleno militia, other colonial forces, regular troops from Cuba, and an impressive collection of shipping. He drove north from New Orleans pushing the British out of Baton Rouge and St. Louis. Moving east he defeated forces at Mobil then lay siege to the 9,000 man redcoat force at Pensacola, defeating them.
Further, Spanish ports were open to service American privateers, and the Spanish fleet forced the British navy to dilute their efforts in the Revolution.
So if one can prove up an ancestor who served with Galvez, DAR status might follow. This could also mean that a Mexican colonial soldier, speaking only Spanish, gets listed as an American patriot!
- Log in to post comments
Spanish in The American Revolution
Brenndan Torres. We have something similar in our family. The DAR recognition was for ancestors in Santa Fe, NM who raised money and gave it to the American Colonists for the War against the British.
Spanish in The American Revolution
A great book on this topic:
Chávez, Thomas E. (2002). Spain and the Independence of the United States:
An Intrinsic Gift. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. ISBN
0-8263-2794-X.
I have moved this thread over to the general@nuestrosranchos.org email
distribution list
Joseph
=========================
Joseph Puentes
Clean@h2opodcast.com
http://h2opodcast.com/vsse.html
> -----Original Message-----
> From: research-bounces@lists.nuestrosranchos.org [mailto:research-
> bounces@lists.nuestrosranchos.org] On Behalf Of mercado@riverfast.net
> Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 12:13 AM
> To: research@lists.nuestrosranchos.org
> Subject: [Nuestros Ranchos] Spanish in The American Revolution
>
> My sister qualified for DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution )
> through several lines. Last summer I discovered she qualified through
> her Spanish line.
>
> Every American learns that the French saved Washington's army in the
> north. But Spain was also in the war against the British, and Spanish
> Louisiana struck from the south.
>
> In about 1777 Spain recruited yeoman settler/militiamen and their
> families to settle some of the thinnest colonies. In my case these
> were from the Canaries and were called Los Islenos. Shiploads were
> dispatched to Louisiana, Puerto Rico, Texas, Argentina, and some other
> colonies. Recruits were given land, tools, guns, and a stipend. If
> you were over 5' 2" you got the premium package.
>
> Galvez combined his home force, The Louisiana Regiment of Infantry,
> with Isleno militia, other colonial forces, regular troops from Cuba,
> and an impressive collection of shipping. He drove north from New
> Orleans pushing the British out of Baton Rouge and St. Louis. Moving
> east he defeated forces at Mobil then lay siege to the 9,000 man
> redcoat force at Pensacola, defeating them.
>
> Further, Spanish ports were open to service American privateers, and
> the Spanish fleet forced the British navy to dilute their efforts in
> the Revolution.
>
> So if one can prove up an ancestor who served with Galvez, DAR status
> might follow. This could also mean that a Mexican colonial soldier,
> speaking only Spanish, gets listed as an American patriot!