"During the War of Jenkins' Ear, King George II called upon his colonies in North America to provide troops for an expedition to capture the Spanish fortress of Cartagena in present day Colombia. This expedition, led by Admiral Edward Vernon, was the first instance of Britain using colonial forces from North America for a mission overseas into foreign lands. Seeing themselves as good subjects of the King, the Virginia House of Burgesses and the North Carolina General Assembly reacted immediately to contribute the requested soldiers and supplies. The focus on operations in the Caribbean left the North American colonies vulnerable since most Royal Navy vessels left along with over 3,000 men. Recognition of their vulnerability prompted a reexamination of colonial defensive measures and capabilities in the power vacuum during the expedition and consequences resulting from failure in the West Indies. Britain's West Indies expedition, during the War of Jenkins' Ear, had a direct impact on colonial agency for North Carolina and Virginia. Each colonial governor desired greater freedom within his colony to better govern and protect it. However, the demands of an imperial war, in which the colonies had never participated in at this level, challenged access to greater agency and reversed some agency already granted. Each governor found ways in which to strengthen their colony but in the end failed to obtain distance from imperial oversight. The war brought the American colonies further into Britain's 'Imperial Realm' making them more valuable and strategic. The war also moved the colonies closer to Britain as William Gooch of Virginia and Gabriel Johnston of North Carolina realized their incapability of defending themselves without direct British aid. The War of Jenkins' Ear brought colonies and mother country together in common cause, creating a stronger empire. This strengthened empire would prove decisive in Britain's proceeding war with France from 1754 to 1763, at which time the colony and mother country would drift apart."--Abstract from author supplied metadata.