Prompt Cast
The War of Jenkins' Ear: A Forgotten Conflict Driven by Economic and Military Competition
TLDR The War of Jenkins' Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain in the 18th century, sparked by an incident where a Spanish captain cut off the ear of a British captain. This war was driven by economic and military competition in the Caribbean, and although mostly forgotten, it played a significant role in disrupting Spanish shipping and shaping British-Spanish relations.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The War of Jenkins' Ear began with a severed ear.
01:25
The War of Jenkin's Ear was a conflict between Great Britain and Spain in the 18th century, driven by economic and military competition in the Caribbean, where slave labor played a significant role.
02:40
The War of Jenkin's Ear was sparked by an incident in which a Spanish captain cut off the ear of a British captain and threatened to do the same to the king if provoked.
03:52
In 1739, eight years after the incident, Britain declared war against Spain and expected France to join Spain's side, but France remained neutral, causing tension and fear for Britain.
05:06
The British captured Portobello in Panama, disrupting Spanish shipping and forcing them to change their shipping policy, and attempted to attack Cartagena but were repelled, before destroying the fortress of San Lorenzo in Panama.
06:14
In 1740 and 1741, the British made two unsuccessful attempts to capture Cartagena, while also engaging in conflicts between Georgia and Florida, before the War of Jenkins' Ear merged into the larger War of Austrian Succession and the new Spanish king became more favorable towards Britain.
07:26
The War of Jenkins' Ear is mostly forgotten, but it is still celebrated at the Warm Slow Plantation Historic Site in Georgia every year on the last Saturday of May.
