An 18th Century Connection

On May 10, 1781, the British surrendered the city of Pensacola to the Spanish during the American Revolutionary War. One soldier who witnessed this tremendous event was Francisco de Miranda. He was born in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1750. He belonged to the Criollo social group- his father was a wealthy merchant. In his youth, Miranda was well-educated and joined the Spanish military. He first participated in the defense of Melilla on the North African coast and then served in the ill-fated Algiers Campaign. He was then sent to Cadiz and transferred to combat the British in the New World following the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. He participated in the Siege of Pensacola and served under the renowned general Bernardo de Galvez. For his actions at Pensacola, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel.

His position and personality were unique in the Spanish army. He bought an extensive collection of books about the Enlightenment and advocated for representative governance. Unfortunately, Spain belonged to a class of counterrevolutionary forces. The Catholic Church and the monarchy remained centralized, and the public largely supported it. Therefore, Miranda earned many enemies in the military, and he travelled to the United States, meeting with some of the founders of the American Revolution, then travelling to England in 1784. For the next five years, he travelled throughout Europe, writing extensively on political affairs. Inspired by the French Revolution, he joined their cause in 1792 and fought the Prussians along the northern borders of France. The political turmoil inside the French government caused a series of misfortunes for Miranda. He was charged with treason by the new government and arrested. He was later released in 1795, but only found refuge back in Great Britain.

Frustrated by the failure of enlightened revolutions, he wanted to liberate his own country of Venezuela. That opportunity did not come until a power vacuum in Spain created an opportunity for Venezuelan independence. There was also a young man who arrived on the shores of Great Britain, designated as a Venezuelan diplomat. This young man pleaded with the British government to fund the revolution taking place in Venezuela. He did not convince the British government, but the young diplomat, Simon Bolivar, convinced Miranda. These two men traveled to Caracas in hopes of attaining independence. Under the First Junta of Venezuela, Miranda led patriot forces in hopes of declaring independence from Spain. Bolivar was made a colonel under him and fought in two actions. Miranda was successful in the early movements of the war, but an earthquake struck Caracas, killing up to 20,000 people.

Many people lost faith in the Independence movement, believing the earthquake was a sign from God. Unfortunately for Miranda, that was not the only tragedy. Bolivar was placed in charge of a prison. The guards betrayed Bolivar and freed the political prisoners and soldiers inside. The prison contained stockpiles of weapons and ammunition. They fought back against the patriot forces and defeated Bolivar. Overwhelmed by the recent events, Miranda planned on surrendering to Spanish forces now enveloping the countryside. Miranda was going to escape, but before he could do so, his old subordinate, Bolivar, captured him and handed him over as a prisoner to the Spanish. He was disgusted by Miranda’s betrayal. He believed they could continue the fight. Bolivar also benefited from betraying his patron because he gained permission to escape from Spanish authorities. He would later come back and fight another war of independence. As for Miranda, he was imprisoned and died incarcerated in 1816.

It seemed that destiny promised Miranda great fortune based on his past experiences, but he was not immune to internal disputes and military rivalries. His dream of an independent Venezuela eventually became true after Bolivar defeated the Spanish in 1821. Even though it seemed that Bolivar got away scot-free, he would later die unhappy, seeing his experiment of Gran Colombia fall apart. There is a special connection in history that exists in the Americas. It is a lot of shared history that goes unnoticed. And on a more personal note, it leaves me more appreciative of Washington’s success in the Thirteen Colonies, knowing that we remained united and steadfast in republican values.

José Manuel Guerrero Acosta, “Francisco de Miranda,” Unveiling Memories, August 12, 2025, https://www.unveilingmemories.com/people/francisco-de-miranda/.