Battle of Cartagena de Indias
Cartagena de Indias, Bolívar, Colombia
What happened
Spanish defenders under Blas de Lezo and Viceroy Sebastián de Eslava fought a large British expedition under Admiral Edward Vernon and General Thomas Wentworth. Britain sent a huge fleet and army to capture Cartagena, Spain's key Caribbean port. The British broke into the harbour and took some forts, but a night attack on the fortress of San Lázaro failed. Diseases such as yellow fever spread through the British troops, and after 67 days they sailed away.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Spain kept Cartagena, which protected its trade across the Atlantic. In Britain the defeat helped bring down the government of Robert Walpole.
What came next
Blas de Lezo died of disease in Cartagena in September 1741. The war ended with the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748.
Did you know?
Lawrence Washington, a volunteer, served in the expedition and named his Virginia home 'Mount Vernon' after the British admiral.
Timeline
- 13 March 1741The British fleet arrives at Cartagena.
- 20 April 1741The British attack on Fort San Lázaro fails.
- 20 May 1741The British withdraw.
- 7 September 1741Blas de Lezo dies.
- 1748The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle ends the war.