“Humanity has won its battle. Liberty now has a country.”
-The Marquis de Lafayette
The fourth book in my Cajun Series, Delphine, follows Delphine Delaronde of Louisiana visiting France about the time of the American Revolution. Most people don't realize that Louisiana had two revolutionary battles within its borders and that the Spanish Governor of Louisiana (Spain owned the colony at the time) won those and other battles along the Gulf Coast.
Spain joined the fight in 1779, creating a true American hero in Louisiana Governor Bernardo de Galvez. Not only did Galvez capture the British forts at Manchac and Baton Rouge, taking more than 1,000 prisoners in Louisiana, he went on to capture Mobile and Pensacola in 1780 and 1781. At the time of Galvez’s campaigns, Britain was struggling to fight the colonists in the South. England’s ongoing battles with Galvez helped to lessen their troops against the Americans in other regions.
Galvez also aided Oliver Pollock, an Irish-born American who spent his fortune financing the shipping of guns and ammunition into the American interior, most of which worked its way up the Mississippi River. Through his work, Pollock is credited with allowing George Rogers Clark to help conquer the Northwest Territory.
France began aiding the Americans in 1776, eager to take shots at Britain after losing the Seven Years War. In 1777, France officially recognized the colonists as an independent, sovereign nation, but they made it official with a treaty of allegiance in February, 1778, due to the charming personality of Ambassador Benjamin Franklin who won the hearts of Paris.
Between Spain and France, millions of dollars were contributed to the American cause. Most of the gunpowder and firearms used in the American Revolution came from France and a French fleet was crucial to the victory of Yorktown, where the English surrendered in 1781, and much of its costs were met by Spanish funds and Spanish assistance (Spain guarded French territories in the Caribbean, allowing the French fleet to travel to the American colonies).
What to read about this liberating time within an exciting romance that includes espionage and pirates? You'll find links to online bookstores for Delphine here.