In the years after the sea Battle of Trafalgar (1805), in which Nelson defeated Napoleon Bonaparte’s navy Gibraltar became a major base in the Peninsular War (1807-1814). The colony grew rapidly during the 19th and early 20th centuries, becoming one of Britain’s most important possessions in the Mediterranean. It was a key stopping point for vessels en route to India via the Suez Canal. A large British naval base was constructed there at great expense at the end of the 19th century and became the backbone of Gibraltar’s economy.