Many peoples aided in our independence

On Oct. 17, 1781, the combined forces of Continental troops led by George Washington and French troops, numbering about 17,000, generated the surrender of the British army of General Lord Charles Cornwallis at Yorktown, Virginia. effectively ending the American War for Independence.

The loss of so many troops and war materials disheartened the British popular support for the war against the American colonies that the British Parliament refused to fund the British involvement any further. The Patriot victory at Yorktown stopped the fighting in the American colonies. Peace was declared on Sept. 3, 1783, with the signing of The Treaty of Paris, formally recognizing the United States of America as a free and independent nation.

Just before Yorktown our struggle for independence from Britain was threatened because the barefoot, raggedly dressed and hungry Continental soldiers threatened to mutiny. Credit could not be obtained from anywhere in Europe. The Spanish leaders of Cuba asked the people of Havana to donate money for the American cause and the Cuban women, mostly well-to-do ladies belonging to cultural and patriotic associations, joined with Cuban merchants to raise the money. The Cuban Creoles donated jewelry and diamonds worth more than 1 million pounds sterling - just what was needed to fund Washington's distressed soldiers.

Again, essentially bankrolling the American and French victory at Yorktown, after a call by the Spanish government.

Twenty-seven men and one woman of Havana raised 500,000 pesos for our freedom. Besides Latino contributions of money, about one-fourth of Washington's army were blacks, about one-third were scotch Irish, some Irish Catholics, many American Indians, often in uniform, as well as about 2,000 Germans, and other nationalities. Our freedom is due to many different peoples.

Stewart E Brekke, Ph.D.

Downers Grove