User:Lord Cornwallis/Manila Ransom

The Manila Ransom was a 1763 agreement by Spain to pay Great Britain the sum of £4 million in exchange for the return of the city of Manila, capital of the Phillipines, which had been captured by British forces under William Draper in October 1762. The money ultimately went mostly unpaid

Capture of Manila


In January 1762 after a period of worsening relations, war broke out between Britain and Spain. The Spanish joined an alliance led by France that had suffered a number of serious defeats since war had been declared in 1756. While Spanish efforts were directed towards invading Portugal and a planned attack on Jamaica, the British launched a major offensive against Cuba, which suceeded in capturing Havana in July 1762.

In (mnth) 1762 news of the war breaking out had reached Madras, where the local commander Draper was ordered to proceed towards Manila with speed and to try and take it before news that war had been declared arrived. Draper assembled a scratch force and sailed within days of receiving his orders. He reached Manila Bay in September and began a siege against the Spanish garrison of the town.

After several weeks of seige, Manila fell to the British. A large amount of plunder was taken, but angreement was made to protect the inhabitants religion. The British garrisoned the city, but made no effort to push into the interior which remained under the control of local militias. The administration of Manila was taken over by the East India Company.

Agreement
News of the Phillipines capture did not arrive in Europe until after the Treaty of Paris had been signed, bringing an end to the war. As the treaty made no mention of Manila, it would remain in British hands until an agreement could be reached over it. The news of Manila's capture came as a problem to Lord Bute, the British Prime Minister, who had already been accused of offering France and Spain too generous terms at the peace negotiations. Bute was personally prepared to hand the Phillipines back to the Spanish, but the popular acclaim of the British public for the conquest put too much pressure on Bute to demand a concession of some form.

Bute was wary of tryng to secure further territorial concessions out of Spain, having just overseen a major expansion of British colonial territory.

it was agreed that Spain would pay £4 million for the return of the city.

On April 1764 British forces handed over control of Manila to -- and evacuated the city. The two year occupation had cost the East India Company around £200,000 with little income gained in return. Unlike Havana, where British occupation had largely been welcomed and trade had flourished, many of the inhabitants of the Philippines were actively hostile to the occupiers.

Non-payment
The Spanish put in a counter-claim for compesation for abuses commited by the British occupiers.

In 1768 the new Northern Secretary Lord Rochford pressed Spain for the money.