The Spanish empire and its economy dominated the Americas in the late 18th century, and the Spanish peso was the premier currency in the rebellious North American colonies. The Spanish peso was so widely used that even the British paid their soldiers in the colonies in silver pesos. The majority of the silver for the… Continue reading The Dollar / Spanish Peso 1776
Year: 1776
Mission of San Juan Capistrano, 1776
The rustle of swallows’ wings and their soft songs have graced the area now known as San Juan Capistrano since all of our times began. The region was initially settled by the Native Americans. The Spanish arrived in 1775, and founded the Mission of San Juan Capistrano on November 1, 1776. This mission was the… Continue reading Mission of San Juan Capistrano, 1776
Happy Birthday to Francisco Saavedra de Sangronis
Today is the birth date of an unacknowledged hero of the 18th century American Revolutionary War, the Spanish soldier and secret agent, Francisco Saavedra de Sangronis. Saavedra was born in Sevilla, Spain, on October 4, 1746, and fought in the military campaigns in Algiers. He was sent to the Caribbean region by King Carlos III,… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Francisco Saavedra de Sangronis
The Old Spanish Trail 1776
On July 4, 1776, as the ink began to dry on the US Declaration of Independence on the East Coast, two Spanish priests began their journey to find a route from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to the California missions. The priests were accompanied by a small number of explorers and a talented cartographer (a “cartographer”… Continue reading The Old Spanish Trail 1776
San Francisco 1776
In sunlit wilderness on June 29, 1776, the Spanish founded the city of San Francisco. California was then part of the Spanish empire, and the founding was days before the US colonies declared their independence from Britain. On that date, Spanish padres said a mass among the trees near where Fort San Carlos was built… Continue reading San Francisco 1776
Miguel Eduardo Antonio, Spanish Agent and Spy 1776
On May 23, 1776, shortly before the July 4 Declaration of Independence was signed, the Cuban vessel, the Santa Barbara, was captured by a British warship in the Delaware Bay. On board was Miguel Eduardo Antonio, sent by the Spanish government in Havana to make contact with the North American rebels. He was traveling under the guise… Continue reading Miguel Eduardo Antonio, Spanish Agent and Spy 1776
The Founding of San Francisco 1776
On March 28, 1776, Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza selected the site for the Presidio in San Francisco, California. The Presidio, or fortress, was built later in September of that year, and served as an important location for the Spanish colonization of California. Anza and his expeditionary forces traveled from Mexico to San Francisco from 1774… Continue reading The Founding of San Francisco 1776