File:The influence of sea power upon history, 1660-1783 (1890) (14597048639).jpg

Identifier: seanpowerinf00maha (find matches)
Title: The influence of sea power upon history, 1660-1783
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: Mahan, A. T. (Alfred Thayer), 1840-1914
Subjects: Naval history Sea-power
Publisher: Boston : Little, Brown and Company
Contributing Library: University of California Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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anish American countries, besidesCuba, Porto Rico, and part of Hayti; France had Guadeloupe,Martinique, and the western half of Hayti ; England, Jamaica,Barbadoes, and some of the smaller islands. The fertile char-acter of the soil, the commercial productions, and the lessrigorous climate would seem to make these islands objects ofparticular ambition in a colonial war; but as a matter of factno attempt was made, nor, except as to Jamaica, which Spainwished to recover, was any intention entertained of conqueringany of the larger islands. The reason probably was that Eng-land, whose sea power made her the principal aggressor, wasinfluenced in the direction of her efforts by the wishes of thegreat body of Englishmen on the North American continent.The smaller West India islands are singly too small to bestrongly held except by a power controlling the sea. They hada twofold value in war : one as offering military positions forsuch a power; the other a commercial value, either as adding to
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IN WEST AND EAST INDIES. 257 ones own resources or diminishing those of the enemy. Wardirected against them may be considered as a war upon com-merce, and the islands themselves as ships or convoys loadedwith enemys wealth. They will be found therefore changinghands like counters, and usually restored when peace comes;though the final result was to leave most of them in the handsof England. Nevertheless, the fact of each of the great powershaving a share in this focus of commerce drew thither bothlarge fleets and small squadrons, a tendency aided by the un-favorable seasons for military operations on the continent;and in the West Indies took place the greater number of thefleet-actions that illustrated this long series of wars. In yet another remote region was the strife between Eng-land and France to be waged, and there, as in North America,finally decided by these wars. In India, the rival nationswere represented by their East India companies, who di-rectly administered both governm

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