Background
Following centuries of alliance between the Mosquitian monarchy and Great Britain, the Convention of London was signed on 14 July 1786 between Britain and Spain. The treaty formally recognised the long-standing independence of Mosquitia while requiring the British to evacuate the "Country of the Mosquitos" in exchange for expanded settlement rights in the Bay of Honduras. [1]
The evacuation was completed on 7 July 1787, resulting in the departure of over 2,000 British settlers (Shoremen) along with their families and enslaved labourers. Although independence was acknowledged, the Spanish government viewed the British withdrawal as an opportunity to establish colonial authority over Mosquitia.
Spanish Colonisation Attempts
In January 1787, Spain ordered the recruitment of 150 families from Asturias and Galicia and 60 families from the Canary Islands to settle at Trujillo, Black River, Cape Gracias a Dios, Bluefields, and the San Juan River. The first group of Spanish colonists arrived at Cape Gracias (King's Cape) on 18 August 1788. At Black River, 121 Canary Islanders moved into former British homes under the protection of 40 regular soldiers, 8 artillerymen, and 101 militiamen. No permanent Spanish settlement was established in Bluefields.
The Spanish initially attempted diplomacy, distributing gift offerings to Mosquitian leaders in imitation of previous British policy. However, their inability to match British generosity, combined with reports of Spanish plots to depose King George and replace him with Governor Colville Briton, generated widespread hostility. In 1790, Colville Briton was executed by his nephew, Admiral Alparis Dilson, under orders from the king.
War and Uprising
The outbreak of the Anglo-Spanish War (1796–1808) further deteriorated relations. Learning that Spain was at war with Britain, the Mosquitian leadership resolved that Spanish settlers could no longer be trusted. In 1797, King George and his council met at Black River, expressing grievances over broken Spanish promises regarding trade and tribute items such as gold, livestock, and fine clothing.
Meanwhile the British were concerned of the Spanish threat to their commercial interests and settlements in the area. The British therefore armed and finance King George to attack the Spanish, in the hopes that it would divert Spanish attention from Belize. [2]
Battle
In the early hours between two and three in the morning on 4 September 1800, an army led by King George and his General Lowry Robinson launched a surprise attack on the Spanish garrison at the Black River Settlement. The engagement was swift, and Spanish resistance collapsed. According to contemporary accounts, only 58 survivors—men, women, and children—escaped "half-naked" to Trujillo.
With the fall of Black River, all Spanish presence was expelled from Mosquitian territory. The event is regarded as the complete restoration of Mosquitian sovereignty.
