Bernardo de Gálvez

Biography

Gálvez was born in Macharavialla a village from mountain in the province from Málaga in Spain in 1746. He studied military sciences with the academy of Ávila, in the 16 years age he takes part in the war against the Portugal where he was promoted lieutenant.

Military career

It arrives to News-Spain in 1762. With the rank of captain, it fights there the Apache S with its Indian allies the Ópata. It was wounded with many recoveries, sometimes even seriously. In 1770 it is promoted ordering armies of Nueva Vizcaya and Sonora.

In 1772 it returns to Spain in company of his/her uncle, Jose de Gálvez. It is then sent to Pau in France with the regiment of Cantabria. It learns French there, which will be very useful for him when he becomes governor of Louisiana. He is transferred to Seville in 1775 and takes part in the disastrous forwarding of Alejandro O' Reilly in Algiers. Gálvez will be seriously wounded besides there. After having captured the fortress which kept the city, it is promoted lieutenant colonel and professor with the military academy of Ávila.

Governor of Louisiana

In 1777 it is sent in Louisiana as a colonel and a governor by interim of the province. It had been yielded to Spain by France at the time of the secret treaty ¹ of Fontainebleau in 1763. In 1779 it is promoted sergeant.

In 1777 he marries doña Marie Felice de Saint-Maxent Estrehan, a young creole widow. They will have three children Miguel, Matilde and Guadalupe.

As a governor, it follows a clearly antibritannic policy by taking measures against English smuggling and promotes the exchanges with France. It establishes also the free trade with Cuba and the Yucatán.

War of independence of the United States

Gálvez is sent in Florida by the viceroy of News-Spain, Martín de Mayorga, with the head of a forwarding of colonial troops in order to lend strong hand to the English colonists in their rebellion against their motherland. Spain saw the hope thus to take again the territories that had removed English and in particular Florida to them.

It carries out hand of Master the military countryside and demolishes the British colonial troops with Manchac, Baton-Rouge and Natchez in 1779. The battle of Baton-Rouge on September 21st, 1779 releases the low valley of the the Mississippi and attenuates the threats on the Orleans News, capital of Louisiana. In 1780 it takes again Mobile with the English.

Its more important victory over the British took place on May 9th 1781, it attacks then by ground and sea Pensacola the English capital of West Florida (current western part of Florida on the Gulf of Mexico). The loss of Mobile and Pensacola leaves the British without base on the Gulf of Mexico, if one excludes the Jamaica. In 1782, it takes the English naval base of New Providence with the the Bahamas.

It will be covered with honors by Spain for its military victories over the British and will be promoted general lieutenant and Brigadier, governor and general captain of Louisiana and Florida, ordering task force Spanish in America as well as the titles of Viscount of Gálveztown and count de Gálvez.

The war of American independence is completed whereas it prepared a campaign to take the Jamaica.

From the American point of view, the countryside of Galvez, is important, because it prevents the British from encircling the American rebels by the south and leaves open a vital corridor of provisioning. Galvez provides also soldiers and material to the revolutionists.

Gálvez, which admired the American revolutionists, was those which wrote the draft of the treated of Paris which marks the end of the war. By this treaty Spain also takes again the Florida with the English. The Congrès of the United States of America will quote Gálvez for its assistance during the Revolution. American baptized in his honor the town of Galveston (Texas) and the Parish of St Bernard (Louisiana), the parishes of Louisiana of Is Feliciana and of Feliciana West recall the name of its wife: Marie Felice de Saint-Maxent Estrehan.

Viceroy of News-Spain

Gálvez returns to Spain in 1783 and fights during the program of the Netherlands. The following year it is returned to the the Indies as a governor and a general captain of Cuba. Shortly after its arrival with Havana, his/her father Matías de Gálvez there Gallardo (then viceroy of News-Spain), dies. One names Bernardo de Gálvez to replace it. It arrives at Veracruz on May 26th 1785 and makes its official entry in Mexico City in June.

During its reign two great calamities will strike Mexico City, the freezing of August 27th 1785 which destroyed harvests and caused the famine then the Peste of 1786. During the famine Gálvez gives 12 000 pesos of its own heritage and finds 100 000 pesos near other givers to buy corn and beans for the population. It also takes measures in order to increase the agricultural production.

It makes build the Château of Chapultepec and begin the installation of public lighting in the town of Mexico City as well as the construction of the towers of the cathedral. It continues the construction of the road towards Acapulco, and takes measures to reduce the abuses made on the Indians within the framework of this work. It makes take 16% of the income of the lotteries and other games of chance like right of the poor.

He encourages sciences by financing the forwarding of Martín de Sessé and Vicente Cervantes which will send in Spain a very rich catalog of the various species of plants, birds and fish of News-Spain.

One will say of him that it was frank, gallant, pleasant and simple. He moved downtown in an open attachment drawn by two horses, attended the Corrida S, pilgrimages and festivals where he was generally accommodated by applause. However the Audiencia did not have an opinion very favorable to its viceroy. They feared that the popularity of Gálvez' S does not enable him to follow the American example and that he does not declare the independence of News-Spain. Audiencia communicated its suspicions with Madrid and the Crown réprimanda Gálvez on several occasions, which returned it melancholic person and not very sociable.

It fell sick and due to keep the bed. November 8th 1786 it gives all its governmental functions except for the presidency of Audiencia. He dies on November 30th 1786 with Mexico City. The rumor will say that it was poisoned by its enemies with the approval of the Court. It rests in the cemetery of San Fernando to Mexico City.

It left some writings, like Ordenanzas para el Teatro de Comedias of Mexico City and Instrución para el Buen Gobierno of mow Provincias Internas of Nueva España .

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