Else Beekman
Most people associate independence struggles in Spain with regions like Catalonia or the Basque Country. But back in the 19th century, it was the coastal city of Cartagena that broke away, not for decades, but for a remarkable six months. And, in an unexpected twist, it even reached out to the United States for help.
It’s the kind of forgotten episode that doesn’t make many textbooks, but it says a lot about the political chaos Spain was navigating at the time, and the sheer audacity of a city that decided it could go it alone.
The year Spain unravelled
To understand what happened in Cartagena, we need to go back to 1873, when Spain had just declared its First Republic. It was a turbulent time: the monarchy had fallen, governments changed almost monthly, and no one could agree on what Spain should actually look like.
One camp pushed for a strong central government. Another wanted a federal system where different regions could govern themselves. And then there were the so-called “cantonalists”, radicals who believed that individual cities should declare themselves autonomous and sort out their own futures. Cartagena was the only place where that idea truly took hold.
The rise of the canton of Cartagena
On 12 July 1873, Cartagena declared itself a sovereign canton, effectively, an independent city-state. Its leaders formed a local government, raised their own flag, and tried to convince other towns in the region to join them.
Some did, briefly. But within days, the national army responded. Most other revolts were quickly shut down. Cartagena held on for six long months.
But independence wasn’t easy. The city soon found itself under siege, surrounded by government forces. Supplies dwindled. Morale dropped. And the dream of an independent canton began to crack under the weight of military reality.
A letter to the President of the United States
Faced with the prospect of defeat, Cartagena’s leaders came up with a last-ditch idea. If no help was coming from within Spain, maybe help could come from outside it. They wrote a letter to Ulysses S. Grant, then President of the United States.
No, they weren’t asking to become the 39th state. But they did ask for permission to fly the American flag over their ships and buildings, hoping that the presence of the Stars and Stripes would make Spanish troops hesitate before attacking. The request, sent through the US ambassador in Madrid, read:
“If authorised, in an extreme case and as a final means of salvation, to raise on our ships, on our castles, on our strongholds a glorious federal banner respected throughout the North.”
President Grant acknowledged the letter and said he would review it. But no reply ever came.
The end of the rebellion
On 12 January 1874, after 185 days, Cartagena surrendered. The city was left battered and starving. Its attempt at self-rule was over.
The Spanish government reasserted control, and the episode was quietly buried in the nation’s troubled 19th-century history.
A legacy, not a footnote
Today, Cartagena independence is rarely talked about, even in Spain. But in the city itself, the memory lingers. Some local movements still argue for greater autonomy from the Region of Murcia. For them, the story of 1873 isn’t just a historical oddity, it’s a symbol of Cartagena’s unique identity.
And while the idea of American flags fluttering over Cartagena’s harbour may now sound like a strange historical footnote, at the time, it was a serious request from a city trying everything it could to survive.
Spain does not allow ship carrying weapons for Israel to dock in Cartagena