Spanish-Portuguese War, 1776-1777
Encyclopedia
The Spanish-Portuguese War was fought between 1776-1777 over the border between Spanish and Portuguese South America
.
, Spain had conquered the Colonia del Sacramento
, Santa Tecla, San Miguel, Santa Teresa and Rio Grande de São Pedro
in the First Cevallos expedition
.
Colonia del Sacramento was returned to Portugal in the Treaty of Paris
, but Santa Tecla, San Miguel, Santa Teresa and Rio Grande de São Pedro remained in Spanish hands, much to the frustration of the Portuguese.
They started assembling troops and harassing the Spanish as early as 1767. Over the years the Portuguese built up an army of 6,000 men, considerably more than the 1,450 Spanish troops in the area. The matter escalated in February 1776 when two Portuguese fleets under Robert MacDouall and Jorge Hardcastle landed troops near the fortress of Rio Grande de São Pedro, and started shelling the place. A Spanish fleet under Francisco Javier Morales came to their help with a naval battle as result. After 3 hours of battle the Spanish had 16 killed and 24 wounded, while the Portuguese lost two vessels.
After this sea-battle, Portuguese land forces pushed forward and the Spanish commander Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo
was forced to withdraw and give up the entire Rio Grande area.
was swift. There was little fear that Portugal's old ally Great Britain would come to their aid, as it was fully occupied by the American Revolutionary War
.
King Charles III promoted Governor Pedro Antonio de Cevallos
to Viceroy of the Río de la Plata
and gave him the leadership of the expedition. Cevallos had already proven his ability in the First Cevallos expedition
(1762-1763), when he had conquered Colonia del Sacramento and had marched deep into Portuguese territory.
Cevallos was in Spain and organized personally the expedition from Cadiz. He had 9,000 men, and a fleet of 6 warships (Poderoso, 70 guns, Santiago la América, 64, San Dámaso, 70, Septentrión, 70, Monarca, 70, and San José, 70), 6 frigates, a number of smaller ships and 100 transport ships at his disposal. The commander of the fleet was Francisco Javier Everardo Tilly y García de Paredes, marqués de Casa Tilly. The fleet left Cadiz on November 20 and arrived in South America on February 18, 1777, capturing several Portuguese ships on the way .
There they encountered the Portuguese fleet of Robert MacDouall, which was much smaller and managed to escape.
Cevallos decided to attack the island of Santa Catarina
on February 23. When the Portuguese saw the formidable Spanish fleet disembark their troops, the garrison fled to the mainland without firing a shot. On March 20, Cevallos sailed towards his second target, Rio Grande de São Pedro, but the fleet was dispersed by a storm and had to return to Montevideo
.
There he split up his forces. He sailed himself with all the artillery to Colonia de Sacramento, where he started the siege on May 23. The city capitulated on June 3.
The rest of the fleet was send to check the fleet of MacDouall, which was still a menace to be counted with. In fact this fleet surprised and captured the lone San Agustín , and renamed the ship Santo Agostinho. The new captain, who also played an important role in capturing the ship was an Englishman in Portuguese service, Arthur Phillip
who later founded the city of Sydney
.
After the capture of Sacramento, Cevallos marched his troops towards Rio Grande de São Pedro, joined forces with the troops of Juan José Vertiz which were concentrated in Santa Teresa . Then he was ordered to stop his advance, as peace negotiations were started.
concluded on October 1 the First Treaty of San Ildefonso
with Spain.
Spain returns the island of Santa Catarina
to Portugal and recognize Rio Grande de São Pedro as portuguese territory, but keeps the Colonia del Sacramento
, the Banda Oriental
, and the Misiones Orientales
.
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
Portuguese attack
In the previous Spanish-Portuguese War, 1761-1763Spanish-Portuguese War, 1761-1763
The Spanish-Portuguese War between 1761 and 1763 was fought as part of the Seven Years' War. Because no major battles were fought, even though there were numerous movements of troops, the war is known in the Portuguese history as the Fantastic War , or War of the Pacte de Famille.When the Seven...
, Spain had conquered the Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the oldest town in Uruguay and capital of the departamento of Colonia. It has a population of around 22,000.It is renowned for its historic quarter, a World Heritage Site...
, Santa Tecla, San Miguel, Santa Teresa and Rio Grande de São Pedro
Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul
Rio Grande is the oldest city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul and also the former state capital from 1835 to 1845...
in the First Cevallos expedition
First Cevallos expedition
The First Cevallos expedition was a military action between September 1762 and April 1763, by the Spanish forces led by Don Pedro Antonio de Cevallos, Governor of Buenos Aires, against the Portuguese in South America as part of the Seven Years' War...
.
Colonia del Sacramento was returned to Portugal in the Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
, but Santa Tecla, San Miguel, Santa Teresa and Rio Grande de São Pedro remained in Spanish hands, much to the frustration of the Portuguese.
They started assembling troops and harassing the Spanish as early as 1767. Over the years the Portuguese built up an army of 6,000 men, considerably more than the 1,450 Spanish troops in the area. The matter escalated in February 1776 when two Portuguese fleets under Robert MacDouall and Jorge Hardcastle landed troops near the fortress of Rio Grande de São Pedro, and started shelling the place. A Spanish fleet under Francisco Javier Morales came to their help with a naval battle as result. After 3 hours of battle the Spanish had 16 killed and 24 wounded, while the Portuguese lost two vessels.
After this sea-battle, Portuguese land forces pushed forward and the Spanish commander Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo
Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo
Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo was a Spanish colonial politician born in New Spain, and Viceroy of the Río de la Plata.-Biography:...
was forced to withdraw and give up the entire Rio Grande area.
Spanish response
The response of the Spanish King Charles III of SpainCharles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
was swift. There was little fear that Portugal's old ally Great Britain would come to their aid, as it was fully occupied by the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
King Charles III promoted Governor Pedro Antonio de Cevallos
Pedro Antonio de Cevallos
Pedro Antonio de Cevallos Cortés y Calderón, also spelled Ceballos , was a Spanish military, Governor of Buenos Aires between 1757 and 1766, and the first Viceroy of the Río de la Plata in 1776....
to Viceroy of the Río de la Plata
Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata
The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, , was the last and most short-lived Viceroyalty of the Spanish Empire in America.The Viceroyalty was established in 1776 out of several former Viceroyalty of Perú dependencies that mainly extended over the Río de la Plata basin, roughly the present day...
and gave him the leadership of the expedition. Cevallos had already proven his ability in the First Cevallos expedition
First Cevallos expedition
The First Cevallos expedition was a military action between September 1762 and April 1763, by the Spanish forces led by Don Pedro Antonio de Cevallos, Governor of Buenos Aires, against the Portuguese in South America as part of the Seven Years' War...
(1762-1763), when he had conquered Colonia del Sacramento and had marched deep into Portuguese territory.
Cevallos was in Spain and organized personally the expedition from Cadiz. He had 9,000 men, and a fleet of 6 warships (Poderoso, 70 guns, Santiago la América, 64, San Dámaso, 70, Septentrión, 70, Monarca, 70, and San José, 70), 6 frigates, a number of smaller ships and 100 transport ships at his disposal. The commander of the fleet was Francisco Javier Everardo Tilly y García de Paredes, marqués de Casa Tilly. The fleet left Cadiz on November 20 and arrived in South America on February 18, 1777, capturing several Portuguese ships on the way .
There they encountered the Portuguese fleet of Robert MacDouall, which was much smaller and managed to escape.
Cevallos decided to attack the island of Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina (island)
Florianópolis Island is an island in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. It is located on the south coast of Brazil between the south 27° latitude and west 48° longitude...
on February 23. When the Portuguese saw the formidable Spanish fleet disembark their troops, the garrison fled to the mainland without firing a shot. On March 20, Cevallos sailed towards his second target, Rio Grande de São Pedro, but the fleet was dispersed by a storm and had to return to Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
.
There he split up his forces. He sailed himself with all the artillery to Colonia de Sacramento, where he started the siege on May 23. The city capitulated on June 3.
The rest of the fleet was send to check the fleet of MacDouall, which was still a menace to be counted with. In fact this fleet surprised and captured the lone San Agustín , and renamed the ship Santo Agostinho. The new captain, who also played an important role in capturing the ship was an Englishman in Portuguese service, Arthur Phillip
Arthur Phillip
Admiral Arthur Phillip RN was a British admiral and colonial administrator. Phillip was appointed Governor of New South Wales, the first European colony on the Australian continent, and was the founder of the settlement which is now the city of Sydney.-Early life and naval career:Arthur Phillip...
who later founded the city of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
.
After the capture of Sacramento, Cevallos marched his troops towards Rio Grande de São Pedro, joined forces with the troops of Juan José Vertiz which were concentrated in Santa Teresa . Then he was ordered to stop his advance, as peace negotiations were started.
Peace
On February 24, 1777 King Joseph I of Portugal died and his daughter and successor Maria I of PortugalMaria I of Portugal
Maria I was Queen regnant of Portugal and the Algarves from 1777 until her death. Known as Maria the Pious , or Maria the Mad , she was the first undisputed Queen regnant of Portugal...
concluded on October 1 the First Treaty of San Ildefonso
First Treaty of San Ildefonso
The First Treaty of San Ildefonso was signed on October 1, 1777 between the Spanish Empire and the Portuguese Empire, shortly after the crowning of Mary I of Portugal and dismissal of Sebastião de Melo, Marquis of Pombal as de facto ruler of Portugal....
with Spain.
Spain returns the island of Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina (island)
Florianópolis Island is an island in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. It is located on the south coast of Brazil between the south 27° latitude and west 48° longitude...
to Portugal and recognize Rio Grande de São Pedro as portuguese territory, but keeps the Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento
Colonia del Sacramento is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is the oldest town in Uruguay and capital of the departamento of Colonia. It has a population of around 22,000.It is renowned for its historic quarter, a World Heritage Site...
, the Banda Oriental
Banda Oriental
The Banda Oriental del Uruguay was the South American territory east of the Uruguay River and north of the Río de la Plata, coinciding approximately with the modern nation of Uruguay, the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Sul and some parts of Santa Catarina...
, and the Misiones Orientales
Misiones Orientales
The Misiones Orientales or Sete Povos das Missões are a historic region in South America, in present-day Rio Grande do Sul, the southernmost State of Brazil....
.