Blockade of Western Cuba

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Blockade of Western Cuba (1591): A short, easy-to-read summary

What happened
During the Anglo-Spanish War, English privateers sailed from Plymouth in spring 1591 on a planned raid against Spanish shipping in the Caribbean. The mission, financed by John Watts with support from Walter Raleigh and others, was led by William Lane and Michael Geare with a larger fleet backing them. The aim was to intercept Spanish treasure ships and to disrupt Spanish convoys along the Spanish Main.

Why it mattered
The English hoped to profit from prize ships and to weaken Spain’s Atlantic trade. The expedition became one of the most successful English privateering campaigns of the war, delivering valuable prizes and showing how English privateers could operate far from home.

Key events
- The fleet set out in 1591, stopping off Spain and then turning toward Cuba and Hispaniola. Early prize-taking near Cádiz yielded bullion, hides, wine, and other valuables.
- The English arrived near Hispaniola in May and learned from prisoners that a large Spanish convoy and a plate fleet were bound for Havana, led by Admiral Diego de la Ribera.
- On 23 June, English ships Burr, Hopewell, Swallow, Content, and others met Ribera’s force near Cape Corrientes. A three-hour gun duel occurred; the Spanish galleons and galleys fought the English, who held their formation despite being outgunned. Burr’s magazine later exploded, causing heavy damage and forcing some English ships to withdraw.
- Despite setbacks, the English captured several Spanish vessels. By early July they had taken:
- Santa Catalina and Regalo de Dios, vessels bound from Santo Domingo to Havana
- Santa Trinidad, a large armed merchant galleon from Seville
- Additional Spanish coastal ships were surrounded, pillaged, and burned or used as stores
- The English then moved to Havana, blockading the western approaches. On 15 July, English ships, including Centaur, Pegasus, Hopewell, Little John, Swallow, and Fifth Part, pressed the blockade and captured more prizes. One especially lucrative capture near Havana was the 240-ton Santa Trinidad, a rich prize that boosted the value of the venture.
- Prizes were sent back to England with the ships that returned from the blockade, while some smaller prizes were kept as stores or burned.

Aftermath and results
- The expedition ended with eight ships captured or seized as prizes, worth about £40,000 in total. The return voyage and sale of these prizes yielded a very favorable financial return for Watts, Raleigh, and the investors, though there were disputes over fair distribution.
- The Spanish authorities in Cuba were frustrated by the English success and the English kept a strong presence for a time during the blockade.
- The raid demonstrated the effectiveness of English privateering and helped spur a follow-up Caribbean expedition in 1592 led by Newport and Watts. That later effort was less spectacular but still caused Spanish delays to treasure fleets.

Overall significance
The Blockade of Western Cuba was one of the most successful English privateering ventures of the late 16th century. It combined naval daring, profitable prizes, and strategic disruption of Spanish shipping, reinforcing the idea that English privateers could operate effectively in the Caribbean during the war.