Documentary Hidden Allies: Spain's role in the American Revolution
'Hidden Allies': the untold Spanish story of American independence
A new documentary sheds light on a little-known chapter in the history of American independence, exploring Spain's military, financial and logistical contribution to the struggle against British rule. ‘Hidden Allies: Spain's Missing Chapter in American Independence’ revisits the historical figures and events that shaped the birth of the United States, highlighting the enduring ties between the two countries and casting new light on key historical figures such as Bernardo de Gálvez.
Key themes of the documentary Hidden Allies: Spain's Missing Chapter in American Independence
- Spain's contribution to American independence: The military, financial and logistical support provided by Spain and its territories in the Americas and the Caribbean during the American Revolutionary War.
- Bernardo de Gálvez and other historical figures: The people whose actions helped shape the conflict, bringing lesser-known stories and contributions to wider public attention.
- A shared history across the Atlantic: The historical ties between Spain and the United States, highlighting the international cooperation that helped shape the birth of the American nation.
- Recovering and preserving historical memory: The importance of making overlooked chapters of history accessible to new audiences through documentary filmmaking, research and cultural initiatives.
The story of American independence is often told through the most prominent figures and events that shaped the birth of the United States. However, behind this defining moment in history lies a wider international story, including the contribution of Spain and the people of its territories in the Americas and the Caribbean.
This lesser-known story is explored in Hidden Allies: Spain's Missing Chapter in American Independence, a 40-minute documentary produced with the support of Iberdrola and Avangrid, the Iberdrola Group’s US subsidiary. The film examines how Spain and the wider Hispanic world contributed to the struggle against British rule, focusing on key historical figures, military campaigns and financial support for the American cause.
‘Hidden Allies’ – a premiere in Washington D.C.
The documentary premiered in Washington D.C. in September 2026, during Hispanic Heritage Month and the year in which the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its independence.
The screening brought together representatives from the institutional, diplomatic and business communities, including Spain's ambassador to the United States, Ángeles Moreno Bau, Avangrid CEO José Antonio Miranda 
Enlace externo, se abre en ventana nueva. and Iberdrola CEO Pedro Azagra.
The initiative aims to bring this shared history to a wider audience and highlight the ties between Spain and the United States that have received less attention in familiar accounts of the American Revolution.
Following its premiere in Washington, D.C., Hidden Allies is set to travel to universities across the United States, reaching new audiences and encouraging greater awareness of this chapter of history.
Bernardo de Gálvez: a key figure in the struggle for independence
Among the historical figures associated with this story is Bernardo de Gálvez, a Spanish military officer who became governor of Spanish Louisiana in 1777. His campaigns against British positions along the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi River played an important role in the wider conflict.
Following Spain's declaration of war against Great Britain in 1779, Gálvez led military operations that resulted in the capture of British positions at Baton Rouge, Natchez and Mobile, followed by the victory at Pensacola in 1781. These campaigns put pressure on British forces in the south and helped limit the resources available for their wider war effort.
His contribution has received official recognition in the United States. In 2014, the US Congress passed a resolution to confer honorary US citizenship on Gálvez.
Financial support, military supplies and international cooperation
Spain's involvement also included financial assistance and the provision of weapons, ammunition, medicines and other military supplies to the American revolutionaries. Before openly entering the war against Britain, Spanish authorities supported the American cause through less direct channels.
Following the declaration of war in 1779, Spanish military campaigns in North America formed part of a wider effort to challenge British power. Spanish forces operated alongside troops and militias from different territories across the Americas and the Caribbean, reflecting the international character of the conflict.
The support provided by Spain and its territories complemented the better-known French alliance with the American colonies. Financial resources, supplies and military operations across different theatres of war helped create the conditions that enabled the United States to secure its independence.
By bringing these contributions together, Hidden Allies offers a broader perspective on the international relationships behind the birth of the United States.
From exhibitions to film: how Iberdrola brings a shared history to new audiences
Hidden Allies builds on a series of cultural initiatives supported by Iberdrola to explore and share the historical ties between Spain and the United States. Among them is La Memoria Recobrada, an exhibition presented at the Torre Iberdrola in Bilbao in 2017 that examined Spain's contribution to American independence through art, historical documents and objects.
The exhibition subsequently travelled to the United States as Recovered Memories. It opened in New Orleans in April 2018 and arrived in Washington, D.C., in September that year. The exhibition brought together around 100 works and historical objects from Spanish and American museums, archives, libraries and private collections. Through these pieces, it explored the role of the Spanish Crown during the American Revolutionary War, with particular attention to military commander Bernardo de Gálvez and the Spanish presence in North America.
The initiative extended beyond the exhibitions themselves. In 2018, Recovered Memories inspired Bajo dos banderas, a book published with Iberdrola's support and coordinated by Spanish writer Arturo Pérez-Reverte. The collection brought together stories by contemporary Spanish authors, offering a literary perspective on the historical connections between Spain and the United States.
This work also helped lay the foundations for Unveiling Memories, a broader initiative designed to research, preserve and share the contribution of Spain and the Hispanic world to American independence. Through exhibitions, publications, museum collaborations and educational resources, the project seeks to make this shared history more accessible to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.
With Hidden Allies, Iberdrola and Avangrid continue their work to share this history with wider audiences, this time through documentary filmmaking. The project offers a new way to explore a chapter of the past that remains unfamiliar to many people, demonstrating how cultural initiatives can connect historical research with contemporary audiences.