Invasion of Trinidad
- When
- 1796–1798
- Where
- Island of Trinidad; Spain and France; Caribbean theatre; Trinidad
- Episodes
- 5
In February 1797 a British fleet under Sir Ralph Abercromby seized Trinidad from Spain, whose alliance with France had made it a British enemy. Governor José María Chacón capitulated without resistance or casualties, and Trinidad remained a British possession thereafter.
Episodes
- Spain's alliance with France turns it against Britain
After defeat by France and the Peace of Basel, Spain allied with France in 1796, becoming an enemy of Great Britain.
- British Caribbean operations preceding the invasion
British forces in the Caribbean in 1796 had already taken Saint Lucia and the Dutch colonies Demerara and Essequibo, before the expedition against Trinidad and Puerto Rico.
- Picton's governorship and British retention of Trinidad
Abercromby installed Thomas Picton as governor; petitions and their representations kept Trinidad British during peace negotiations.
- British invasion and capture of Trinidad
An 18-ship British fleet under Abercromby took Trinidad in February 1797; Chacón capitulated without defence or casualties.
- Prize money allocation for the invasion force
The next year the British invasion force shared in an allocation of £40,000 for ships taken at Trinidad and property found on the island.
Background and detail
Background. Spain, formerly an ally of Great Britain, was defeated by France in the war of the Pyrenees in 1795 and compelled to sign the Peace of Basel. In 1796 Spain and France signed an alliance convention, including the second Treaty of San Ildefonso, making the two nations allies and thereby turning Spain into an enemy of Great Britain.
Invasion and Surrender. On 18 February 1797 a fleet of 18 British warships commanded by Sir Ralph Abercromby invaded and took Trinidad. Within a few days the last Spanish Governor, Don José María Chacón, offered to capitulate, and the island surrendered to British arms the following day without any effort at defence and without casualties.
Aftermath. Abercromby made Thomas Picton governor of Trinidad as a British crown colony, with a French-speaking population and Spanish laws. During later peace negotiations, petitions from British inhabitants against returning the island, together with representations by Picton and Abercromby, ensured Trinidad's retention as a British possession. The following year the invasion force shared in an allocation of £40,000 for the proceeds of ships taken at Trinidad and property found on the island.
People involved
- Sir Ralph Abercromby · Commander of the British invasion fleet
- José María Chacón · Last Spanish Governor of Trinidad, who surrendered the island
- Thomas Picton · Governor of Trinidad appointed by Abercromby
Sources
- Capture of Trinidad Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-20
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.