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Spain's important contribution to the birth and formation of the United States is already present in the Museum of the American Revolution (Philadelphia), which has just added to its collection a portrait of the revolutionary Stephen Minor, who fought with the Spanish army under the command of Bernardo de Gálvez.

The painting, attributed to William Edward West around 1809, has been restored and donated to this institution by Iberdrola. The piece was presented in Philadelphia at an event attended by Scott Stephenson, President and CEO of the Museum of the American Revolution, Ricardo Añino, Political Counsellor of the Spanish Embassy in the United States, and Rafael Orbegozo, Advisor to the Chairman's Office of the Iberdrola Group.

The portrait thus joins the Museum's collection along with an explanatory panel that highlights Spain's role as a key ally of the Revolutionary cause and recalls the figure of Minor, who joined Spain's army in Louisiana to recapture Florida from the British in 1780 and 1781. Known as 'Don Esteban' Minor, he was appointed captain of the Spanish forces under Bernardo de Gálvez for his service during the Siege of Pensacola and, after the war, became the last Spanish governor of Natchez before it was ceded to the United States in 1798.

In addition, during Hispanic Heritage Month the Museum will offer daily lectures on Spain's contribution to American independence during the American Revolution. Between 1775 and 1782 Spain sent arms, material and funds worth the equivalent of $3 billion today. In addition, thousands of Hispanic soldiers and sailors contributed their lives to the birth of the new nation.

The donation of this portrait is part of Iberdrola's Unveiling Memories project, which aims to leave a permanent legacy of Spain's and Latinos' and Hispanics' crucial contribution to American independence.

As part of this initiative, the book "Desvelando memorias" (Unveiling Memories) was presented at the former residence of the Spanish ambassadors in Washington DC. Through a series of articles written by experts in the field, the book reviews numerous episodes and historical figures that have remained largely unknown to the general public in the United States and Spain. 

Along with this publication, an educational app called "Quizstory: Spanish Friendship", developed by the company in collaboration with the Queen Sofia Spanish Institute, was also presented. This tool, aimed at US students between 10 and 18 years of age, aims to disseminate the Hispanic contribution to the War of Independence through a game.

"As a leading sustainable energy company, Iberdrola is committed to the growth of our communities, and we are proud of our dual Hispanic-American roots," said Pedro Azagra, CEO of AVANGRID, a subsidiary of the Iberdrola group in the United States. "Through memorials, exhibitions and educational tools, such as the book and app we have launched and the restored portrait donated to the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, our Unveiling Memories project seeks to shed light on the legacy of a story that has gone untold for centuries.

Commitment to the dissemination of culture and the USA

Within the framework of the Unveiling Memories project, Iberdrola promotes numerous activities that include exhibitions, permanent commemorations, donations of historical materials to museums, seminars, publications, online resources, and support for training and research in this field. These initiatives are part of the company's commitment to the promotion and dissemination of art and culture, and demonstrate its close ties with the United States, where, through its subsidiary AVANGRID, it has established itself as one of the leading companies in the energy sector.

In less than two decades, AVANGRID has become one of the largest groups in the North American electricity sector. Present in 24 states, it has more than 8,500 MW of installed renewable capacity (mainly wind and photovoltaic) and more than 170,000 kilometres of power lines through eight distributors in New York, Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts.

The company currently employs more than 7,350 people directly and contributes indirectly to the creation of some 70,000 jobs, with a contribution of more than €10 billion to the country's GDP.