The wild story of how a severed ear Incited an 18th century war between Britain and Spain The War Of Jenkins’ Ear: How A Severed Ear Incited A Years-Long Conflict Between Britain And Spain Between 1739 and 1748, Britain and Spain fought a bloody war — and it all started because of a severed ear. Before the conflict broke out, Spanish coast guards had allegedly boarded a British ship, attacked its captain, Robert Jenkins, and one "took hold of [Jenkins'] left Ear, and with his Cutlass slit it down; and then another of the Spaniards took hold of it and tore it off." But the real reasons behind the so-called War of Jenkins' Ear were more complex, with both Britain and Spain seeking greater control over trade in the Americas. The war broke out at a time when the Spanish king was demanding back payments from British merchants for the "asiento de negros," or the monopoly right to sell enslaved people to Spanish colonies in the Americas. Meanwhile, the Bri...
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