An Englishman named Gregor McGregor, a veteran of the Napoleonic wars, wanted to take over East Florida in the name of Venezuela, New Granada, Mexico and Rio de la Plata. He had been unable to establish a government among the Venezuelans as he had wished, and had lost all hope of receiving supplies for his army there, so in February 1817, he moved on to Mexico. On the Island of St. Thomas, he...