This march was written by Mrs. Anna King de Williams, a North American composer born in the late XIX Century who lived in Argentina, to commemorate the history of one of the ships that participated in the greatest number of battles during the War of Independence.
Built in Spain to serve in the Spanish Royal Navy with the name of "Consecuencia", it was captured during the blockade of the Callao Fort by the "Halcón" under the command of Captain Hipólito Bouchard. Brought to Buenos Aires, it was armed by Dr. Vicente Echevarría, and received Privateering Letters Patent N° 116, dated 25 June 1817, signed by the governor of Buenos Aires, General Juan M. de Pueyrredón, and renamed "La Argentina".
Under the command of Captain Bouchard and with an experienced staff composed of French, English and criollo officers, among them the 17 year old Tomás Espora as naval cadet, it set sail bound for Madagascar on 9 July 1817, exactly one year after the Declaration of Independence of the United Provinces of the River Plate.
After fighting against slave traffickers and rejecting the attack of Malaysian pirates, it crosed the Pacific Ocean seeking Spanish vessels. It held a two months blockade of the city of Manila, headquarters for the galleons sailing to Acapulco. In Hawai, the local king recognized the Independence of the United Provinces. It then navigated the coasts of California and Central America, disembarking at several Spanish fortified towns, among them Monterrey and Acapulco.
After exactly two years of flying the Argentine flag throughout the seas of the world, with fire and sword against Spanish interests, having taken or burned over 25 vessels and temporarily occupied several Spanish possessions, La Argentina frigate cast anchor at Valparaíso, Chile, giving rise to a conflict with Admiral Alexander T. Cochrane, commander of the Chilean Navy.
In 1821, under its old name Consecuencia, and as always under Bouchard’s command, it transported the glorious Regiment of Mounted Grenadiers forming part of the expedition to liberate Perú. It was scraped in 1822.
