Francisco de Saavedra

Francisco de Saavedra was a Spanish strategist who contributed to the American and French victory at Yorktown.

Francisco de Saavedra y Sangronis was born in Seville, Spain, in 1746. He received a good education with Enlightenment principles. He got a doctorate in theology and intended to pursue a career in the clergy. However, he decided against pursuing that career and joined the military. In the early 1770s, he served in a Spanish military campaign in Algiers and met Bernardo de Galvez, who influenced him to seek an active role in Spanish politics and colonial administration. Saavedra entered the Ministry of the Indies in Cadiz, Spain, which oversaw Spain’s colonies in the Americas and the Philippines. There, he honed his skills as a financial planner. His early career developed an understanding of colonial administration, trade, and European geopolitics, knowledge that would prove important in his future endeavors.

On April 12, 1779, Spain and France signed the Treaty of Aranjuez, establishing a military alliance between the two countries. In 1780, King Charles II sent Saavedra to Havana, Cuba, as a Royal Commission. In this role as the king’s special envoy, he worked to streamline Spanish administration in the Americas, coordinate military efforts with the French, and secure financial resources for the war. Now, at the center of Spain’s strategy against Britain, Saavedra had a significant behind-the-scenes role in the American Revolution.

Saavedra supported Bernardo de Gálvez's campaigns against the British in West Florida, including the Siege of Pensacola in 1781. These victories secured Spain's control over the Gulf Coast and diverted British resources.

Saavedra's most impactful contribution came during the summer of 1781. Recognizing the potential for a decisive blow against the British, he embarked on a mission to Santo Domingo to meet with the French Admiral François Joseph Paul, Comte de Grasse, commander of the French fleet in the Caribbean. Their meeting on July 17, 1781, resulted in the Grasse-Saavedra Convention, an agreement that would help end the American Revolution. Initially, France had wanted to focus its naval power on Jamaica, threatening that British island’s economic trade. However, Saavedra persuaded de Grasse to redirect his fleet and troops to the Chesapeake Bay with the assurance of Spanish financial support.

After securing the strategic commitment, Saavedra faced the task of raising the promised funds. He returned to Havana, where the treasury was almost empty. Undeterred, Saavedra appealed directly to Cuban citizens and merchants’ patriotism and self-interest. Saavedra raised 500,000 silver pesos. French frigates sailed with the money, taking it to Admiral de Grasse in the Chesapeake Bay.  This money provided the necessary provisions, gunpowder, and payment for the French and American forces during the Siege of Yorktown.

Saavedra's financial contributions continued. He raised one million pesos from Cuba and another one million from Veracruz, Mexico, further supporting the war effort. These sums represented a sizable portion of Spain’s financial aid during the American Revolution, providing funding for American and French forces.

Following the American victory at Yorktown, Saavedra continued his career in Spanish public service. He served as the Intendant of Caracas (1783-1788), a member of the Supreme War Council, and later held prominent positions as Finance Minister (1797) and Minister of State (1798) under King Charles IV. Despite poor health, he left retirement to serve Spain during the Napoleonic invasion in 1810. He died in 1819.

Francisco de Saavedra's contributions to American independence were significant. He was a good diplomat, financial manager, and strategist whose actions enabled the victory at Yorktown. Though his name is often not widely recognized, Saavedra’s life is a reminder of the importance of allies working behind the scenes who contributed to the creation of the United States.