The American Revolution | Spanish Influence on American History

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Setting the Stage: Empires on the Eve of Revolution

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Early Support: Money, Armaments, and Supplies

Spain’s Contributions to the Patriot Cause

Grades 7–12

This five-lesson unit explores Spain’s contributions to the patriot cause in the American Revolution.

  • Lesson Plan

Spain’s Covert Contribution to the American Revolution

1778

This letter from Diego de Gardoqui to Arthur Lee details secret Spanish aid to the American Revolution.

  • Primary Source

Discovering Diego de Gardoqui

with Reyes Calderón, Eduardo Garrigues, and Thomas E. Chávez

Learn about this remarkable Spanish merchant and diplomat.

  • Video

Forging a Friendship: Diplomacy and Foreign Relations

America’s Call to Arms to Spain and France

by Larrie D. Ferreiro

Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence was an appeal to Spain and France for aid, crucial for American victory against Britain.

  • Essay

Benjamin Franklin, Spain, and the Independence of the United States

by Thomas E. Chávez

Negotiations with Spanish diplomats in France proved pivotal to the American war effort.

  • Essay

Spain’s “Royal Gift” to George Washington

1784

George Washington, as an agricultural scientist, sought help to secure a donkey from Spain.

  • Primary Source

Partners in War: Military Action and Engagements

The Spanish Siege of Pensacola

by Kathleen DuVal

This essay discusses Bernardo de Gálvez and the Battle of Pensacola.

  • Essay

Bernardo de Gálvez

1746–1786

The Spanish governor of Louisiana led troops against British strongholds during the Revolutionary War.

  • Biography

El enemigo de mi enemigo es mi amigo

by Larrie D. Ferreiro

Spain and the US forged an unlikely alliance during the American War for Independence, shaping history through shared interests.

  • Essay

Lasting Legacies: International Impact of the Revolution

The US and Spanish American Revolutions

by Jay Sexton

Spanish American revolutions, like the United States’, were influenced by transatlantic colonial ties and geopolitical shifts.

  • Essay

Fort Greene and the Prison Ship Martyrs

Lost Legacy Series

A monument in Brooklyn, NY, was dedicated in 1908 to the sacrifices of American prisoners of war who died on British ships during the Revolution.

  • Video

Venezuela’s First Declaration of Independence and US Republicanism

by Vitor Izecksohn

Venezuela’s path to independence, shaped by colonial hierarchy and internal divisions, contrasts with the American Revolution.

  • Essay

The Spanish Contribution to the American Revolution Timeline

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Posters

Poster Downloads

In 2023, the Gilder Lehrman Institute partnered with the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute to create posters for the Gilder Lehrman Affiliate School Program. You may download printable PDFs of those posters here: