{"id":9,"date":"2024-03-28T19:04:46","date_gmt":"2024-03-28T18:04:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hosting57280us-cp173.wordpresstemporal.com\/?page_id=9"},"modified":"2026-02-25T11:26:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T10:26:09","slug":"el-real-de-a-ocho","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/elrealdeaocho.com\/en\/","title":{"rendered":"El Real de a Ocho"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n
\n\t
\n\t\t

The Spanish Dollar of 1776<\/h2>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
\n\t
\n\t\t

The Currency of Independence<\/h4>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
Buy<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h5><\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n
\n\t
\n\t\t

In 1777, everything seemed lost...<\/h2>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
\n\t
\n\t\t

... General George Washington<\/b>, commander of the 13 colonies that revolted against England, was at a great disadvantage. He tried to drive out the British with starving soldiers, without shoes and without weapons. They endured that harsh winter camped at Valley Forge, about 20 miles north of Philadelphia.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>By spring, a quarter of the soldiers had died from hunger, sunstroke, and illnesses such as smallpox, malaria, and typhoid fever.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\"I am sure the troops will never be able to do what the people expect and fulfill their duties,\" wrote Washington in despair in a letter to the state of New Hampshire in 1777, requesting support.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\"If we manage to save ourselves, it will be thanks to the Spanish and the French,\" wrote <\/span>Alexander Hamilton <\/span><\/b>to the Congress in Philadelphia.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But France had its own problems. Its General, <\/span>Comte de Rochambeau <\/span><\/b>had no funds to pay his troops stationed on American soil.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>Only one option remained: to write to the \"Key of the New World,\" the Spanish authorities in Havana. <\/span>Francisco de Saavedra <\/span><\/b>the commissioner of <\/span>King Carlos III <\/span><\/b>in Cuba, authorized a loan of 1 million Spanish dollars, or \u201cpesos hispanos\u201d. The money was gathered in 48 hours and sent from the port of Havana on August 17 aboard the frigate <\/span>Aigrette.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t

The Spanish Dollar of 1776<\/h3>\n

The Currency of Independence<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t
<\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
<\/div> <\/div>
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n
\n
\n
\n \"El\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n
\n
\n
\n \"\"\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>\n
\n\t
\n\t\t

Most of the Spanish dollars were minted at the Mexico City Mint, the first mint in all of the Americas, described in 1803 by <\/span>Alexander von Humboldt <\/span><\/b>s \"the largest and richest in the world.\"<\/span>It<\/span>employed more than 400 workers, including laborers, engravers, and administrative staff.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>The \"usually calm Washington\" could not hide his great happiness upon seeing the coins, and \"was seen by <\/span> Rochambeau <\/span><\/b>waving his hat towards me in a gesture of great joy,\" recounted historian <\/span>Richard M. Ketchum.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n

\n\t
\n\t\t

Joe Biden: \"We would not have been an independent country without you.\"<\/h4>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
\n\t
\n\t\t

In the following years, over 16 million Pesos Hispanos were sent as a \"Universal Donation,\" a collection organized by the Viceroy of New Spain, <\/span>Mart\u00edn de Mayorga. <\/span><\/b>Whites, mulattos, Indigenous people, nobles, merchants, and priests all contributed to the first great revolution of the 18th century.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hispanic support began in early 1775, with the shipment of 300 muskets with bayonets and more than 600 pistols from Bilbao. In 1780, over 11,000 soldiers arrived to fight against the <\/span>British <\/span>in Florida, Louisiana, and the Caribbean.\u00a0<\/span>Additionally, thousands of Hispanic soldiers and sailors, born in both Europe and the Americas, gave their lives for the new nation. By the end of the war, the countries of the Hispanic Empire had contributed the equivalent of 3 billion dollars in arms, medicines, blankets and uniforms.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hispanic support for U.S. independence was crucial and continues to be recognized to this day.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>On December 18, 2014, <\/span>Barack Obama <\/span><\/b>named <\/span>Bernardo de G\u00e1lvez <\/span><\/b>an honorary citizen of the United States, the highest honor the country bestows on foreigners.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>He was also recognized on June 28, 2022, when President <\/span>Joe Biden <\/span><\/b>thanked King <\/span>Felipe VI <\/span><\/b>during his visit to Spain for the role the Hispanic Empire played in the war against the British. <\/span>\"We would not have been an independent country without you.\"<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div> \n<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t

<\/div><\/div><\/div>
\n\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n
\n\t
\n\t\t

The First Global Currency<\/h3>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n