The reign of Carlos III (1759–88) was the period of “La Illustracion” – the Enlightenment – during which time Spain was again a major power. From 1702, all of Spain’s overseas territories rallied to Felipe V as king, and they would expand greatly in North America during the 18th century.

Spain's National Militia has its origin in the civic military defense groups formed in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714), but came to full fruition during the Peninsular War (1808–1814), which is viewed in Spain as a war of independence against Napoleonic France.

Apr 26, 2023 · Joseph was discharged from the Spanish militia on June 20, 1774, as listed in the Spanish Colonial Records, Archives of the Indies, Seville, Spain. He was a Sergeant under the command of Governor Galvez, Officer Augustin Grevemberg, Captain Jacques Sorrel, May …

Reprint of works and articles by Luis Arana, Mark Johnson, and others about military history of Spanish Florida published during the past twenty years.

Both the French and the Spanish decided to use militias as well as fixed military regiments. Records show that able-bodied men up to age 50 served in the militias.

The Black militia retreated to the Castillo de San Marcos, the Spanish fort in St. Augustine. They mounted a surprise attack in June 1740, reclaiming Fort Mose in a ruthless battle that came...

Oct 1, 1973 · The French Bourbons, who had ascended the throne of Spain in 1700, found it necessary during the enlightened reign of Charles III (1759-1788) to reorganize defenses in America against increasing British pressure.

Dec 11, 2015 · Ferdinand VI (1746-1759) had inherited from his father, Philip V (1700-1759) a promising defense system that had to its credit a dramatic victory over the British at Cartagena in 1741. But misplaced confidence arising from that very triumph … lulled Ferdinand into an unimaginative perpetuation of his father's system. . . .

From its inception in the 1760s, the army of New Spain failed to meet the expectations of viceroys, senior military officers, and those it was supposed to protect from foreign invasions, civil unrest, and frontier incursions.

At this time, Spain claimed only the province of Florida in eastern America. It controlled Cuba and other territories in the West Indies that became military objectives in the Seven Years' War. Florida's European population was a few hundred, concentrated in St. Augustine.