Roderigue Hortalez and Company facts for kids

Pierre Beaumarchais

Roderigue Hortalez and Company was a secret business that helped American revolutionaries. It secretly sent military supplies and money from France and Spain. This happened before France officially became an ally of the American government against Britain.

The idea for this secret help came from Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais. He was a French writer, inventor, and businessman. He had the support of King Louis XVI's minister, Vergennes. Through this company, weapons and other war supplies went to the Americans. This helped them fight the British, who had been France's rival for a long time. France had recently lost land in North America to Britain in the Seven Years' War.

Why France Helped America

The Seven Years' War had been very difficult for France. They lost almost all their lands in North America. France also felt defeated by the British military. Spain, who was France's ally later in that war, lost important land in Florida. Meanwhile, Britain gained a lot of new territory in North America.

In 1774, Charles Gravier, Comte de Vergennes became the foreign minister of France. He was strongly against England. He once said, "England is the natural enemy of France." He saw a chance to challenge Britain by helping the Americans.

The Secret Plan to Help

Beaumarchais worked as a secret agent for France. He traveled to London for a different mission. While there, he met Arthur Lee, who was from the American Continental Congress. Lee gave Beaumarchais a letter. In this letter, the Congress suggested that France should help the American rebellion. They asked for secret military aid, disguised as a loan. Beaumarchais believed that if Britain lost its thirteen colonies, its economy would become much weaker.

Support for the Plan

King Louis XVI and Minister Vergennes agreed to the plan. Both countries did not want to openly show their support. They waited until the American rebellion had clearly started.

Even before the American Declaration of Independence was signed, supplies were already moving. Weapons and other important items were sent through a neutral Dutch island called St. Eustatius. These supplies included muskets, cannons, cannonballs, gunpowder, bombs, mortars, tents, and enough clothing for 30,000 soldiers. This help was very important. It kept American hopes alive during the spring of 1776.

Challenges with Payments

Hortalez & Co. worked with the Americans through a merchant named Silas Deane. He was working with Thomas Morris, the half-brother of Robert Morris (financier). Because Arthur Lee was not part of this business deal, he tried to make sure Deane would not get paid. He also worked to prevent Beaumarchais from getting paid for the goods he provided.

Lee convinced the American committee not to pay their debt. He argued that paying would create a record that could show the British that France was helping the Americans. This caused problems for Deane, who struggled to prove he was owed money. It also caused financial difficulties for Beaumarchais.

In a letter from August 16, 1777, Lee wrote about Beaumarchais. He said that Beaumarchais was not just a merchant but a political agent for the French Court. Lee believed that paying him would make the British suspicious. He also worried that if the money was in Beaumarchais's hands, it might not be recovered. Lee suggested that trying to force Beaumarchais to account for the money would risk revealing the whole secret operation.

See also

In Spanish: Roderigue Hortalez y Compañía para niños