Timeline

Spanish and Hispanic
Americans
North Americans
Colonists
The Spanish finance the company Rodriguez. Hortalez et Cie with 1 million livres to smuggle weapons and military supplies to the North
American Army

General Charles Lee sends soldiers to. Governor Luis de Unzaga in Louisiana to request military supplies, including gunpowder, which the Spanish provide to them.

Miguel Eduardo Antonio departs Havana for. Philadelphia - en route he is captured by the British, who suspect he is aiding the North Americans

Shipments of gunpowder from factories in Mexico and other critical military supplies are smuggled to the North America.

San Francisco Presidio and Mission are founded in California
Thomas Paine, a recent immigrant, publishes `Common Sense', a best seller that helps to convince North Americans to declare independence and begin the Revolutionary War.

Congress, state legislatures and merchants launch 'powder cruises' to sail to the Caribbean and Europe to buy gunpowder and supplies for the War.

Henry Knox, former bookseller, leads the heroic mission to transport captured over 60 British cannon from Fort Ticonderoga to the Siege of Boston.

Facing the cannons of Ticonderoga, the British evacuate Boston - not knowing that the North Americans are out of gunpowder.

Declaration of Independence signed on July 4.
Shipments of military supplies are smuggled from Bilbao, Spain through Gardoqui and Sons; the Basque merchant house, these shipments will continue throughout the War.

North American agent Arthur Lee meets with outgoing Spanish Secretary of State Grimaldi, to discuss supplies and finances.

Bernardo de Galvez, now Governor of Louisiana, receives orders to send military supplies to the North Americans through New Orleans.

Juan de Miralles., Spanish agent sent to observe and assist the colonists, departs Havana for Philadelphia
Victory March in Philadelphia with Hessian prisoners captured at Trenton. Continental soldiers take the coats of their prisoners, since winter clothing is in short supply.

General Burgoyne is defeated at the second Battle of Saratoga by the North American rebels, and surrenders almost 6,000 British troops.

Congress approves the flag of the United States with thirteen stripes and thirteen stars, representing "a new constellation" .

The Continental Army braces for the winter at Valley Forge, facing terrible shortages of clothing, blankets, shoes and supplies
Spanish and Hispanic
Americans
North Americans
Colonists
Military supplies are sent by the Spanish to St. Louis, Missouri to assist the North Americans fighting in Missouri and the West.

Juan de Miralles increases export of North American flour from Philadelphia to Havana, enabling merchants to earn hard currency.

North American privateers raid British merchant ships, sheltering in Spanish ports for repairs, supplies, and to sell their cargos.

Production of silver from central Mexican mines from Guanajuato to Zacatecas reach highest levels of production in colonial history.

Bernard de Galvez continues shipments of military supplies. The Spanish Viceroyalty of New Spain (Mexico) continues to produce and smuggle supplies to the rebels through New Orleans and Havana
Prussian immigrant Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben arrives at Valley Forge to begin training the Continental Army.

George Rogers Clark leads expedition to recapture Vincennes, Indiana, and its British garrison. Clark is assisted by the Spanish.

Admiral Comte d'Estaing arrives off Delaware Capes with 16 ships and 4000 French soldiers, first direct French military reinforcements.

Rhode Island 1st Regiment of freed African-Americans distinguish themselves fighting the British at the Battle of Quaker Hill.

Governor Patrick Henry of Virginia writes to Bernardo de Galvez, requesting woolen blankets, tarps, munitions. The British naval blockade of the colonies prevents the importation of supplies.
Spanish and Hispanic
Americans
North Americans
Colonists
Spain declares war on Britain, opening another strategic front against the British from Nicaragua to Pensacola, Florida.

Texas vaqueros organize the first official out of state cattle drive to supply Bernardo Galvez and his Army fighting against the British.

Bernardo de Galvez, the Louisiana militia, Spanish Army and volunteers defeat the British at Baton Rouge, capturing several posts on the Mississippi River.

John Adams and son travel to Spain, assisted and financed by the Gardoqui. Adams is wined and dined by many Spanish dignitaries.
Southern Loyalists travel to London to urge the British King and ministers to move troops to their states.

British General Henry Clinton sets sail with force of 8700 to Charleston, South Carolina, to meet British reinforcements.

Carolina Loyalists support the British Army. North American, French, Haitian, and West Indies troops lose the bloody siege of Savannah.

The Continental Army camps at Morristown, New Jersey, to face supply shortages and record cold weather.
Spanish and Hispanic
Americans
North Americans
Colonists
King Carlos III proclaims that all his subjects in the Americas must contribute to the war through a special tax, including those in California, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Juan de Miralles dies at General George Washington's camp at Morristown, New Jersey.

Bernardo de Galvez and his Army capture Mobile, Alabama, from the British.

Spanish, Guatemalans, Hondurans and Nicaraguans continue to fight against the British in lengthy campaigns across Central America.

Money and supplies are sent to the Central - American battles from Peru and New Granada Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela)
The North Americans surrender Charleston, South Carolina after a 6-week siege. 5500 soldiers are captured - one of the worst disasters during the Revolutionary War.

General Rochambeau arrives with 5500 French troops at Newport, Rhode Island Francis Marion begins his guerilla warfare tactics against the British in South Carolina.

Benedict Arnold, Revolutionary Army general turned traitor, plots with the British to capture George Washington and West Point.

British General Cornwallis inflicts a crushing defeat on the Continental Army at Camden, South Carolina
Spanish and Hispanic
Americans
North Americans
Colonists
The citizens of Havana, Cuba finance the North Americans and French with an emergency collection of silver and gold.

Smuggling from Bilbao continues; notification sent of five ships with guns, iron and blankets for the North Americans.

Spanish and Cubans, including Afro-Cuban militia men, defeat the British at the Battle of Pensacola, led by Bernardo de Galvez.

The Spanish assist the French Navy in the Caribbean, enabling them to take all their warships to assist the North Americans.

City of Los Angeles is officially founded by the Spanish after being settled 12 years earlier by Franciscan missionaries.

George and Martha Washington spend Christmas holidays at the home of the Spanish diplomat Francisco Renclon in Philadelphia
After years of hyperinflation, the Continental dollar completely collapses. The US economy continues to decline.

The Pennsylvania Line Mutiny rocks the Continental Army; then New Jersey soldiers mutiny over pay and supplies.

Cornwallis defeats the Continental Army at Guilford Court House, near Greensboro, North Carolina.

The French Navy defeats the British at the Battle of the Capes, blocking off escape for the British at Yorktown.

The Siege of Yorktown begins. The rebels purchase supplies and payroll with the money sent by the Cubans
Spanish and Hispanic
Americans
North Americans
Colonists
Spanish and Hondurans defeat the British Army on Roatan, Honduras, ending British influence in the Gulf of Honduras.

Francisco Rendon requests additional trading privileges for the North Americans through the Mississippi to New Orleans.

Spanish force from Havana captures New Providence (Nassau) Bahamas and its 600 British soldiers .

Spain and France launch the Grand Assault of the Siege of Gibraltar, forcing the British Navy to divert naval resources from North America
British House of Commons, learning of the Yorktown defeat, urges King George III to end the war in America.

The British tighten the naval blockade of the colonists, further threatening the fragile economy.

Fort Henry, Virginia, is attacked by Native Americans and Loyalists.

British troops evacuate Charleston, South Carolina, taking thousands of Loyalists and African-Americans
Spanish and Hispanic
Americans
North Americans
Colonists
Spain and France end the Siege of Gibraltar.

Spain, France, and Britain sign preliminary articles of peace, establishing a military armistice among themselves and Britain and the US.

Spain officially recognizes the independence of the United States of America.

St. Augustine, Florida, is formally transferred back to Spain by the British. British officials host the Spanish Governor, Vicente Manuel de Zespedes, with a ball on July 14, 1784. Festivities are held in Madrid, Spain to celebrate the end of the war.
Britain proclaims the end of hostilities with the US.

Pennsylvania troops mutiny over lack of pay and march on Congress at Philadelphia. Congress flees to Princeton, New Jersey.

George Washington resigns as Commander in Chief in Annapolis, Maryland.

Definitive treaty of peace signed by Britain, US, France, Spain, and the Netherlands in September 1783. Treaty is ratified by the US Congress on January 14, 1784, formally ending the American Revolutionary War.
Spanish and Hispanic
Americans
North Americans
Colonists