War of Jenkins' Ear
The War of Jenkins' Ear (1739–1748) began when British merchants, frustrated by Spanish enforcement of trade restrictions in the Caribbean, used the mutilation of Captain Robert Jenkins's ear by Spanish coastguard officers as a pretext for war. The conflict escalated into the larger War of Austrian Succession (1740–1748) and was fought in the Caribbean, Georgia, and Panama. British admiral Edward Vernon captured Portobello but failed at Cartagena de Indias. The war was inconclusive but exposed the fragility of Spanish control over Caribbean trade and accelerated British commercial penetration of Spanish America.
- Year: 1739 CE
- Category: Military
