The War of Jenkins’ Ear
In 1731, British Captain Robert Jenkins had his ear sliced off by Spanish coast guards during a scuffle in the Caribbean. He supposedly kept the severed ear in a jar of rum and later presented it to the British Parliament as proof of Spanish brutality. Though the incident itself wasn’t immediately acted upon, it fermented enough anger that eight years later, Britain declared war on Spain — all in the name of Jenkins’ pickled ear.
The resulting conflict, aptly named the War of Jenkins’ Ear, was less about naval insults and more about trade and colonial control. But the fact remains that one ear was enough to kick off a war lasting nearly a decade. Talk about overreacting to a bad haircut.
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