Bernardo de Gálvez
Spanish general and colonial governor (1746–1786) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Bernardo Vicente de Gálvez y Madrid, 1st Count of Gálvez (23 July 1746 – 30 November 1786) was a Spanish military leader and government official who served as colonial governor of Spanish Louisiana and Cuba, and later as Viceroy of New Spain.
The Count of Gálvez | |
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49th Viceroy of New Spain | |
In office 18 June 1785 – 30 November 1786 | |
Monarch | Charles III |
Preceded by | Matías de Gálvez y Gallardo |
Succeeded by | Alonso Núñez de Haro y Peralta |
5th Spanish Governor of Louisiana | |
In office 1777–1783 | |
Monarch | Charles III |
Preceded by | Luis de Unzaga |
Succeeded by | Esteban Rodríguez Miró |
Personal details | |
Born | Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid (1746-07-23)23 July 1746 Macharaviaya, Spain |
Died | 30 November 1786(1786-11-30) (aged 40) Tacubaya District, Mexico City, New Spain |
Awards | Order of Charles III |
Signature | |
Military service | |
Allegiance | Spain |
Branch/service | Spanish Army |
Years of service | 1762–1786 |
Rank | Captain General Marshal |
Battles/wars | |
A career soldier since the age of 16, Gálvez was a veteran of several wars across Europe, the Americas, and North Africa. While governor of Louisiana, he supported the colonists and their French allies in the American Revolutionary War, helping facilitate vital supply lines and frustrate British operations in the Gulf Coast. Gálvez achieved several victories on the battlefield, most notably conquering West Florida and eliminating the British naval presence in the Gulf.[1] This campaign led to the formal return of all of Florida to Spain in the Treaty of Paris, which he played a role in drafting.
Gálvez's actions aided the American war effort and made him a hero to both Spain and the newly independent United States. The U.S. Congress endeavored to hang his portrait in the Capitol, finally doing so in 2014.[2] He was granted many titles and honors by the Spanish government, which in 1783 appointed him viceroy of one of its most valuable territories, New Spain, succeeding his father Matías de Gálvez y Gallardo. He served until his death from typhus.
While somewhat forgotten in the United States, Gálvez remains in high esteem among many Americans, particularly in the southern and western states that once formed part of Spain's North American territory.[3] Gálvez Day is celebrated as a local holiday in Pensacola, and several places bear his name, including Galveston, Texas and Galvez, Louisiana. In 2014, Gálvez became one of only eight people to have been awarded honorary U.S. citizenship.[3]