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= = =What were the causes and consequences of the War of Jenkins’ Ear?=

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Introduction
The War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain that lasted from 1739 to 1748. It grew out of the commercial rivalry of the two powers and after 1742 led to involvement in the larger War of the Austrian Succession. http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-AustrianSuc.html The incident that gave name to the war occurred in 1731 when, according to Robert Jenkins, master of the Ship Rebecca, he had his ear cut off by Spanish coast guards. English smuggling and resentment at the exclusion from the Spanish colonial trade caused the war, but Jenkin’s story in the House of Commons (1738), reinforced by showing of his carefully preserved ear, had a tremendous propaganda effect and forced the reluctant Sir Robert Walpole http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-WalpoleR.html declare war. The hostilities with Spain up to 1741 were marked only by the naval engagements of Admiral Edward Vernon in the West Indies and the Spanish Armada.

Long Term Causes of tension between Britain and Spain
A long term cause of the War of Jenkins’ ear is the Spanish Armada, this is because the Spanish Armada had created tensions between Great Britain and Spain. Phillip II send a great fleet of 130 warships and converted merchant ships from Spain to England. The aim was to suppress English support for the United Provinces, part of the Spanish Netherlands. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Armada

Short Term Causes
Under the 1729 Treaty of Seville, the British had agreed not to trade with the Spanish colonies. To verify the treaty, the Spanish were permitted to board British vessels in Spanish waters. After an incident in 1731, when Robert Jenkins, captain of the ship //Rebecca//Rebecca, claimed that the Spanish coast guard had severed his ear. The British government, which was determined to continue its drive toward commercial and military domination of the Atlantic basin, used this incident as an excuse to wage war against Spain in the Caribbean. In 1738 Jenkins exhibited his pickled ear to the House of Commons, whipping up war fever against Spain. To much cheering, the British Prime Minister, Robert Walpole, reluctantly declared war on October 23, 1739.

Course
The main action of the battle of Jenkins’ ear occurred in March, 1741 against Cartagena de Indias, Spain’s major gold-trading ports in the Caribbean (today Colombia). The attack was launched by the British under Admiral Edward Vernon. Vernon’s attack was hampered by inefficient organisation, his rivalry with the commander of his land forces and the logistical problems. The strong fortifications in Cartegena and the able strategy of Spanish Commander [|Blas de Lezo] were decisive in pushing back the attack. Evidently with heavy losses at the British side. Additionally, to the unfamiliar tropical climate many of Vernon’s men succumbed in large numbers to the virulent tropical disease, mainly yellow fever.

Occurrence of British attacks took place in the Caribbean which had minor influences on the geopolitical situation in the Atlantic. The weakened British forces launched similar attacks against St. Augustine in Florida; Havana, Cuba and Panama; all were repelled. A 1742 Spanish counter-attack upon the British colony of Georgia at the Battle of Bloody Marsh was also repulsed by the British.

The war was also characterised by relatively indecisive naval operations and enormous privateering by both sides. The war eventually died down due to lack of troops as resources were diverted by war in Europe many had been subject to disease, without any gain of territory on either side

Consequences
The consequences of the war were that it ended in a naval and military stalemate. Its diplomatic decision formed part of the wider settlement of the War of the Austrian Succession by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. The eighteenth century Anglo-Spanish colonial rivalry continued. However, the different issues at stake remained unresolved until at the end of the Seven Years' War Spain decided to declare war on Britain on behalf of an embattled France, leading to the British occupation of the cities of Havana (Cuba) and Manila (Philippines). In the peace, Florida was handed to the British for the return of these cities. Later, Spain took advantage of the American revolutionary war to seize Florida, the Bahamas and (with French assistance) Minorca from Britain as well as staging an unsuccessful Franco-Spanish siege of Gibraltar (1779-1783). The Bahamas were returned to Britain in exchange of the remainder of Florida. Britain's attempts to avail itself of Spain's chaos during the French revolutionary and Napoleonic wars by trying to seize San Juan (Costa Rica) (1797), Tenerife (1797) and Buenos Aires (1806 and 1807) ended in defeat.

Conclusion
Ultimately the cause of the War of Jenkins ear was the long and founded envy to wage war against Spain in the Caribbean, but on the other hand had a pointless aspect. The event of Robert Jenkins having is ear cut off was like a match that lit the fuse, it was merely an excuse, just as in the First World War when Franz Ferdinand was murdered.