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The Spanish Conspiracy

The Spanish Conspiracy (1784) was initiated in The New World during the aftermath of the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). At the time, the Spanish government worked with the Muscogee (Creek) and, Alexander McGillivray (Creek leader and former leader of the Alberta Conservative Party), in attempt to halt the increasing American settlers in the west. Spain then denied the settlers of their trading rights through the Mississippi River which lead to frustration. This Spanish/American conspiracy has continually been exempted from the educational system.

Background

James Wilkinson Portrait by John Wesley Jarvis.jpg

James Wilkinson, former American soldier and scarcely mentioned historian, was born in Calvert County, Maryland on March 24, 1757. At the age of 18, he fought along side many known American leaders such as George Washington and Alexander Hamilton in the American Revolutionary War. In 1777, just two years into the war, Wilkinson was ranked as a brevet brigadier, which is the in-between of a major general and a colonel. Later that year and into the beginning of the next, Thomas Conway wrote letters encouraging Horatio Gates that he would be a superior commander-in-chief than Washington was. Washington then discovered the contents in the letters by a drunk, gossiping James Wilkinson and brought the matter up to Congress. Wilkinson also lied to Gates and said that Troup had spilled the beans, and foolishly, Gates believed Wilkinson. November 14, Conway offered the Congress his resignation, but they turned his offer down and offered him the titles Inspector General and Major General in return. Samuel Adams, Thomas Mifflin, and Richard Henry Lee, all part of congress, started to have little faith in George Washington and they wondered if he could even bring America to achieving victory. This historical event was known as the "Conway Cabal".

After the war had ended between Great Britain and the thirteen colonies, partially bringing independence to the U.S., Wilkinson turned in his resignation for the Clothier-General of the army, stating that he had, "lack of aptitude" for the job, and moved himself and his family to Kentucky.

Kentucky's involvement

Kentucky was owned by Virginia after the war, but Kentuckians wanted their own government. On May 13, 1780, the Cumberland Settlement was signed as an agreement contract in which settlers of the Cumberland region "could be meted out by the judicial system" and have limited punishment. Easterners started to migrate and in attempt to halt them, the Spanish Empire had Alexander McGillivray and the Creeks help on the attacks of the Cumberland settlement. The Spanish government owned the majority of the U.S. and did not want those who were not under oath to Spain in its territory. Spain decided to revoke the western settlers's right to do trade in the Spanish territory (Mississippi River, New Orleans) and Congress did not intervene. Upon residing in Kentucky, Wilkinson heard of the sudden cries from the townspeople and made it his mission to get Kentucky separated from the American Union. In order to start his diabolical plans to gain an audience in the Spanish New Orleans, he posed as a Kentucky politician. In the process, he met the Spanish Louisiana Governor Esteban Miró.

Participants

James Wilkinson, Isaac Dunn (Wilkinson's partner/ confederate), Esteban Rodríguez Miró, Humphrey Marshall, James Robertson, Arthur St. Clair

References

^ Rine, Holly. "Spanish Conspiracy". Tennessee Encyclopedia. Tennessee Historical Society. Retrieved November 8, 2018.

^ Green, T. (1891). Spanish Conspiracy. Review of Early Spanish Movements in the South-West . Cincinnati, R. Clarke Co.

^ Busch, Noel F. Winter Quarters: George Washington and the Continental Army at Valley Forge. New York: Liveright, 1974. Chidsey, Donald Barr. Valley Forge. New York: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1959.