▁with ▁Spain ▁▁ ▁Spanish ▁ships ▁destroyed ▁Brown ' s ▁sch oon er ▁and ▁took ▁dr astic ▁steps ▁to ▁null ify ▁Argentina ' s ▁attempts ▁to ▁defend ▁its ▁coast s ▁against ▁Spanish ▁ra iders . ▁As ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁incident , ▁Argentina ▁resolved ▁to ▁provide ▁ships ▁to ▁protect ▁her ▁coast s ▁and ▁trade , ▁with ▁Brown ▁being ▁commission ed ▁as ▁a ▁lieutenant - col onel ▁at ▁the ▁service ▁of ▁the ▁n avy ▁and ▁appointed ▁Commander - in - Ch ief ▁of ▁the ▁Argent ine ▁fleet . ▁That ▁was ▁following ▁the ▁challenge ▁of ▁Benjamin ▁Franklin ▁Sea vers , ▁registered ▁as ▁a ▁Canadian ▁merchant ▁ship man , ▁who ▁rel in qu ished ▁his ▁challenge ▁when ▁Brown ' s ▁supposed ly ▁illegal ▁press ▁g anging ▁earlier ▁in ▁his ▁career ▁came ▁to ▁light , ▁which ▁is ▁believed ▁to ▁have ▁t ipped ▁into ▁his ▁favour ▁to ▁lead ▁the ▁fl ot illa . ▁Sea vers ▁was ▁American - born . ▁However , ▁following ▁the ▁Emb argo ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 8 0 7 , ▁like ▁most ▁other ▁merchant ▁ship men , ▁he ▁became ▁Canadian ▁to ▁avoid ▁the ▁double ▁tax ation ▁im posed ▁on ▁international ▁trade . ▁ ▁The ▁River ▁Pl ate ▁presented ▁new ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁capt ains ▁of ▁free ▁enter prise . ▁It ▁was ▁important ▁to ▁keep ▁gra in ▁lines ▁open ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁continent , ▁and ▁the ▁Spanish ▁stood ▁in ▁the ▁way . ▁Sea vers ▁was ▁Brown ' s ▁second - in - command ; ▁he ▁led ▁the ▁first ▁attack ▁on ▁the ▁Spanish ▁naval ▁force