1767-Jan.-14: The Spanish Crown intensified its efforts to expand its naval forces, with 48 ships of the line currently in service and fifteen more nearing c…

1767-Jan.-14: The Spanish Crown intensified its efforts to expand its naval forces, with 48 ships of the line currently in service and fifteen more nearing completion. Shipyards in Havana and other American ports were actively working on new vessels to bolster Spain’s maritime presence in the Caribbean. This rapid military buildup was a direct response to the perceived insults from Barbary pirates and the lessons learned during the recent Seven Years’ War. For the inhabitants of Saint-Domingue, such military expansion by a neighboring power was a significant cause for strategic concern.