The invasion of Trinidad is fairly captivating when you consider that the island was one of the first places colonized by Europe. Christopher Columbus discovered Trinidad on his third exploration in 1498.
On this day February 21st, in 1797, the Spanish forces surrender to Sir Ralph Abercromby and his men. Abercromby was a Scottish soldier who served in the British Army as a lieutenant general. With a massive army of 10,000 men, Abercromby marched onto Trinidad on February 12th, and within 10 days, the Spanish governor Jose Maria Chacone had surrendered.
Trinidad is the counterpart to Tobago, often these islands are referred to as Tobago and Trinidad. The British had been allies with Spain, and therefore would not have attacked the island, but since Spain had lost a war to France, Spain was forced into signing a treaty with France. The English and French have a notorious history of violence and war, hence the reasoning for Abercromby’s invasion of the Spanish and French island.