Virginius Affair was an incident in 1873 that almost started a war between the United States and Spain. During a Cuban revolt against Spanish rule called the Ten Years’ War (1868-1878), the Spanish gunboat Tornado captured the ship Virginius off Jamaica. The Spanish claimed the ship was aiding the Cuban rebels. The Virginius was registered in New York and flew the American flag. Its captain, Joseph Fry, was an American.
Spanish authorities in Cuba executed Fry, 36 crew members, and 16 passengers. United States President Ulysses S. Grant then demanded the release of the ship and the surviving passengers, threatening military action. Later, however, an investigation showed that the Virginius was illegally registered, had no right to fly the American flag, and was owned by Cubans. Nevertheless, Spain surrendered the ship and the survivors. It also made payments as compensation for the deaths of American and British citizens killed in the incident.
