{"id":98,"date":"2025-11-19T18:38:43","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T18:38:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/caribbean\/?post_type=chapter&p=98"},"modified":"2025-12-10T17:17:01","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T17:17:01","slug":"british-invasion-occupation-of-havanakulchock","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ulib.csuohio.edu\/caribbean\/chapter\/british-invasion-occupation-of-havanakulchock\/","title":{"rendered":"British invasion of Havana by Stephen Kulchock"},"content":{"raw":"The British arrived on the island of Cuba in the town of Havana on June 6th, 1762, but the landing started on June 7<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0Before the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>attack<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>t<\/span>he Spanish king Charles III\u00a0<\/span><\/span>made an attempt<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>to fortify the city by commanding the Governor of Havana Don Juan de Prado, but nothing was done by the city.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>The attack on Havana by the British was the largest attack by a nation at the time due to the vast\u00a0<\/span><\/span>number<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of troops from the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Americas<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>being \u201c<\/span>included approximately 12,500 soldiers, 10,000 sailors, and 2,400 enslaved people from Africa. Around 3,500\u00a0<\/span><\/span>additional<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>troops arrived in July<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>from North America, for an approximate total of 28,400 men\u201d<\/span><\/span>1<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>then as well during the time Havana wa<\/span>s seen as one of the most flourishing cities in the world even ahead of the Americas.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>The\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Naval bombardment was considered initially but then done by the British to take the castle swiftly while also discouraging the military and militias that are stationed on El Morro castle.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>While also having Navy ships, HMS Stirling Castle, HMS Dragon, and HMS Marlborough would also all attack the castle with guns being fired from their respective ships as well while they are bombing the castle.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Then\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the militias that were stationed in Havana and El Morro castle were not exact but there was an estimate of \u201c<\/span><\/span>Spanish corps numbered 1,500 regular troops, 4,000 sailors, and 2,100 militiamen\u201d<\/span><\/span>2<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Due to the vastly smaller sizer of the forces in Havana they suffered severe losses from guns and bombs but another source of a vast amou<\/span>nt of killing was the Yellow fever that was spreading throughout everyone.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>After the siege of the city the Governor of Havana Juan de Prado called together a war council of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>all<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the commanders in the city to create an effective plan to protect the city from the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>British<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>To start the siege 4000 British troops went ashore to fight against the 600\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Spanish<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>militia men\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that\u00a0<\/span><\/span>manned<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a breastwork<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Then the first village that was taken on the way to capturing Havana was\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Guanabacoa<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>by Colonel Carleton, with a force of British light infantry on the 8<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>of June 1762<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and by\u00a0<\/span>June 29<\/span><\/span>th<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the British were capturing Cabana heights<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>despite the push back from Havana militias but were repelled\u00a0<\/span><\/span>as well as still capturing El Morro castle\u00a0<\/span><\/span>due to the constant batteries by the British along the coast.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>During the battle for Havana the British were constant and unrelenting in their attempts to capture the city and all the surrounding villages around that led up to Havana in the proc<\/span>ess<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>By July of 1762 all but two Spanish guns were operable from<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the success of the British in<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>due to the constant barrages from the Spanish warships and artillery. Then towards the end of July the British sent out 3 regiments\u00a0<\/span><\/span>that attacked separate locations the first being<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>by boat and attacking<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the high ground\u00a0<\/span><\/span>El Morro castle and La Cabana heights, the second regiment attacked\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the northeast section of morro Castle from the ground and the th<\/span>ird<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>regiment attacked<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>La Cabana from the south.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Throughout all the capture of Havana the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>British<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>maintained\u00a0<\/span><\/span>consistent in achieving their goal while also having men from both Britian and having America send troops as swell to the Island to support\u00a0<\/span><\/span>because<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>the<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>heavy\u00a0<\/span><\/span>barrage of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>batteries from British ship a well as having troops land on the ground as previously discussed to start the march of taking over smaller cities on their way to capturing Havana on\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u201c<\/span>August 13, 1762 and after the capture the British flag was hoisted in the city.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>3<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0Right after the British were able to secure Cuba, they\u00a0<\/span><\/span>immediately<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>abolished the taxes and<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>as well as the British opening all the ports trade\u00a0with merchants and traders from England and the North American colonies\u00a0<\/span><\/span>therefore<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>increasing the income and t<\/span>he relations between the three nations. Then because of the opening of the ports to the two nations the Cubans were finally allowed to trade with other nations other than Spain\u00a0<\/span><\/span>because while under Spanish rule they were banned because of British law<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Also\u00a0<\/span><\/span>during the time of the British\u00a0<\/span><\/span>occupation,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>the island was introduced to over ten thousand slaves to the island, there was a massive surge in the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>agriculture<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>and prices of the products\u00a0<\/span><\/span>especially sugar while also introducing Cuba to African cultures like music, food, and religion due to the high influx of slaves that were brought to the nation by the\u00a0<\/span><\/span>British<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Finally, the ultimate reason why the British capture of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Havana<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>was crucial because it gave the Cuban people to see just how profitable it is to trade with other nations besides Spain as shown by sugar becoming the most valuable crop of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Cuba<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>due\u00a0<\/span><\/span>to<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>such a high d<\/span>emand for the crop as well as\u00a0<\/span><\/span>despite Spain losing the Island for a period of time the Spanish were ab<\/span>le to retain the powerhouse island but had to secede the state of Florida to the British\u00a0<\/span><\/span>due to how important the island is to Spain during that time period.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\r\n