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Admiral Edward Vernon was born in Scotland in 1684.
Answer: False
Explanation: Admiral Edward Vernon was born in Westminster, London, England, in 1684, not Scotland.
Admiral Vernon served exclusively in the Royal Navy of England.
Answer: False
Explanation: Admiral Vernon served in the Royal Navy of England and later Great Britain, reflecting the political union of the kingdoms.
Edward Vernon served in the Royal Navy for approximately five decades.
Answer: False
Explanation: Edward Vernon served for 46 years in the Royal Navy, which is close to five decades but not quite, and the precise duration is significant.
Unlike many naval officers of his time, Edward Vernon received a formal secondary education at Westminster School.
Answer: True
Explanation: Admiral Vernon's attendance at Westminster School provided him with a secondary education, which was uncommon among Royal Navy officers of his era who typically received only elementary schooling.
What were Admiral Edward Vernon's principal professional roles?
Answer: Royal Navy officer and politician
Explanation: Admiral Edward Vernon's career encompassed significant service as a Royal Navy officer and also as a Member of Parliament, reflecting his dual roles in military and political spheres.
In which location was Admiral Edward Vernon born?
Answer: Westminster, London, England
Explanation: Admiral Edward Vernon was born on November 12, 1684, in Westminster, London, England.
What was the total duration of Admiral Edward Vernon's service in the Royal Navy?
Answer: 46 years
Explanation: Admiral Edward Vernon served for a total of 46 years in the Royal Navy, spanning from 1700 to 1746.
How did Admiral Edward Vernon's early education contrast with the typical educational background of Royal Navy officers of his era?
Answer: He received a secondary education at Westminster School, unlike most who had only elementary schooling.
Explanation: Admiral Vernon's attendance at Westminster School provided him with a secondary education, which was uncommon among Royal Navy officers of his era who typically received only elementary schooling before entering naval service.
The War of Jenkins' Ear was primarily caused by disputes over trade routes in the Indian Ocean.
Answer: False
Explanation: The War of Jenkins' Ear was primarily triggered by escalating tensions and incidents related to Spanish-British maritime trade and territorial disputes in the Caribbean and Atlantic, notably the alleged mutilation of Robert Jenkins' ear.
Edward Vernon captured the important Spanish port of Portobelo, Panama, in 1739.
Answer: True
Explanation: In 1739, Admiral Edward Vernon achieved a significant victory by capturing the strategically important Spanish colonial port of Portobelo, Panama.
Following the capture of Portobelo, Edward Vernon was awarded a knighthood.
Answer: False
Explanation: While the capture of Portobelo brought significant recognition, including the Freedom of the City of London and commemorative medals, Edward Vernon was not awarded a knighthood for this action.
Admiral Hosier's earlier blockade of Portobelo was considered a success, making Vernon's later capture more remarkable.
Answer: False
Explanation: Admiral Hosier's blockade of Portobelo was a notable failure, characterized by inaction and heavy losses to disease, which made Vernon's subsequent successful capture with fewer resources even more significant.
Which significant Spanish colonial possession did Admiral Edward Vernon capture in 1739, an action that garnered considerable public recognition?
Answer: Portobelo, Panama
Explanation: In 1739, Admiral Edward Vernon captured the strategically important Spanish colonial port of Portobelo, Panama, an achievement that brought him significant public acclaim.
The incident involving Robert Jenkins, a pivotal event contributing to the outbreak of the War of Jenkins' Ear, primarily involved:
Answer: The alleged cutting off of his ear by Spanish guards.
Explanation: The War of Jenkins' Ear was significantly fueled by the testimony of merchant seaman Robert Jenkins, who claimed his ear had been severed by Spanish coast guards during an encounter at sea.
How did Admiral Edward Vernon's successful capture of Portobelo in 1739 compare to Admiral Hosier's earlier, unsuccessful blockade of the same location?
Answer: Vernon succeeded with six ships, unlike Hosier's failed blockade with twenty.
Explanation: Vernon's capture of Portobelo in 1739, achieved with only six ships, starkly contrasted with Admiral Hosier's earlier blockade of the same port with twenty ships, which resulted in failure and heavy losses due to disease.
The British amphibious assault on Cartagena de Indias in 1741, led by Vernon, resulted in a decisive victory.
Answer: False
Explanation: The large-scale British amphibious assault on Cartagena de Indias in 1741, under Admiral Vernon's command, culminated in a significant and disastrous defeat for the British forces.
Disease among the British troops was a significant factor in the failure at Cartagena de Indias.
Answer: True
Explanation: The outbreak and spread of disease among the British troops was a critical factor contributing to the ultimate failure of the expedition against Cartagena de Indias.
The Spanish defense of Cartagena de Indias was led by Admiral Vernon himself.
Answer: False
Explanation: The formidable Spanish defense of Cartagena de Indias was masterfully led by Admiral Blas de Lezo, not by Admiral Vernon, who commanded the attacking British fleet.
Medals minted by the British before the Cartagena campaign depicted their eventual victory.
Answer: True
Explanation: Confident of success, the British minted commemorative medals depicting their anticipated victory at Cartagena, which later became symbols of their miscalculation.
After the Cartagena failure, Vernon successfully conquered Santiago de Cuba.
Answer: False
Explanation: Following the Cartagena debacle, Vernon's subsequent operations included a brief capture of Guantánamo Bay, but the attempt to conquer Santiago de Cuba was ultimately abandoned.
What was the ultimate outcome of the major British amphibious operation against Cartagena de Indias in 1741, commanded by Admiral Vernon?
Answer: A disastrous defeat for the British forces.
Explanation: The large-scale British amphibious assault on Cartagena de Indias in 1741, under Admiral Vernon's command, culminated in a significant and disastrous defeat for the British forces.
Which of the following factors was NOT identified as a significant contributor to the British defeat at Cartagena de Indias?
Answer: A failed assault on the city's main fortification.
Explanation: While disease, Spanish defenses, and inter-commander disputes were factors, the primary assault on the city's main fortification (San Felipe de Barajas) was not the sole reason for failure; rather, a combination of factors, including a failed assault on secondary defenses and disease, led to the overall defeat.
What was the approximate scale of the British fleet and personnel deployed for the attack on Cartagena de Indias?
Answer: 195 ships and 30,000 men
Explanation: The British expedition against Cartagena de Indias involved an immense force, comprising approximately 195 ships and around 30,000 personnel, including sailors, soldiers, and colonial troops.
Who commanded the Spanish defense forces at Cartagena de Indias, successfully repelling Vernon's fleet?
Answer: Admiral Blas de Lezo
Explanation: The formidable Spanish defense of Cartagena de Indias was masterfully led by Admiral Blas de Lezo, whose strategic acumen was instrumental in repelling the much larger British fleet.
What was the consequence for British plans for further large-scale offensives in Spanish America following the decisive defeat at Cartagena?
Answer: They were abandoned for several decades.
Explanation: The significant defeat at Cartagena de Indias effectively ended British ambitions for large-scale offensive campaigns against Spanish colonies in the Americas for several decades, forcing a strategic reassessment.
What is the historical significance of the commemorative medals minted by the British concerning the Cartagena campaign, particularly in relation to the battle's outcome?
Answer: They became symbols of the British miscalculation and defeat.
Explanation: Confident of victory, the British minted commemorative medals depicting their anticipated triumph at Cartagena. These medals subsequently became potent symbols of their profound miscalculation and the actual disastrous defeat.
Edward Vernon was a Member of Parliament for the constituency of Portsmouth.
Answer: False
Explanation: Edward Vernon served as a Member of Parliament, but his constituencies were Penryn and Ipswich, not Portsmouth.
Edward Vernon served as Commodore on the Jamaica Station starting in 1739.
Answer: False
Explanation: Edward Vernon served as Commodore on the Jamaica Station earlier, in 1720, not in 1739.
Edward Vernon was promoted to Admiral in 1745 and commanded the North Sea Fleet.
Answer: True
Explanation: In 1745, Edward Vernon achieved the rank of Admiral and was given command of the North Sea Fleet.
Edward Vernon was dismissed from the navy flag list in 1746 due to insubordination during the Cartagena campaign.
Answer: False
Explanation: Edward Vernon was removed from the navy flag list in 1746 not for insubordination during the Cartagena campaign, but for publishing pamphlets critical of the Admiralty.
Edward Vernon's criticisms of the Admiralty were primarily focused on personnel appointments.
Answer: False
Explanation: While Edward Vernon was critical of the Admiralty, his criticisms, often expressed in pamphlets, generally concerned naval administration and strategy rather than being primarily focused on personnel appointments.
For which parliamentary constituencies did Admiral Edward Vernon serve as a Member of Parliament?
Answer: Penryn and Ipswich
Explanation: Admiral Edward Vernon represented the constituencies of Penryn and Ipswich during his tenure as a Member of Parliament.
During his later Caribbean operations subsequent to the Cartagena campaign, Admiral Vernon briefly captured which bay, subsequently renaming it Cumberland Bay?
Answer: Guantánamo Bay
Explanation: Following the Cartagena campaign, Admiral Vernon's operations included a brief capture of Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, which he renamed Cumberland Bay.
For what reason did Admiral Edward Vernon request to be relieved of his command of the North Sea Fleet in 1745?
Answer: The Admiralty refused to grant him the status of Commander-in-Chief.
Explanation: Admiral Vernon requested to be relieved of his command of the North Sea Fleet in 1745 when the Admiralty declined to grant him the overall status of Commander-in-Chief, a position he felt was warranted.
What specific action led to Admiral Edward Vernon's dismissal from the navy flag list in 1746?
Answer: Writing pamphlets critical of the Admiralty.
Explanation: Admiral Edward Vernon was removed from the navy flag list in 1746 following the publication of pamphlets in which he criticized the Admiralty's administration and policies.