Bernando Galvez

Bernardo de Gálvez was born on July 23, 1746, in Málaga, Spain and died in November 30, 1786, in Mexico City. He was a Spanish military leader and  governor of Louisiana and Cuba and  viceroy of New Spain. Gálvez helped the Thirteen Colonies in their war for independence and led the Spanish armies against Britain in the Revolutionary War, defeating the British at Pensacola and conquering back Florida for Spain. Gálvez smuggled operations to supply the North American in 1777. The British had blocked the eastern ports. Gálvez worked shipping gunpowder, muskets, uniforms, medicine and other supplies.Gálvez was sent to Florida by New Spain's Viceroy. Bernando being the leader of Spanish troops helped Americans in their independance from Britain. Spain's reasons to join the Americans were the opportunity to recover land lost to the British such as Florida. His most important military victory over the British forces happened on May 1781, when his troop attacked and took Pensacola. The loss of Mobile and Pensacola left the British with no bases in the Gulf of Mexico, except for Jamaica which was not even part of the colonies. He received many honors from Spain for his military sucesses against the British, he was promoted to lieutenant general and field marshal, governor and captain general of Louisiana and Florida. Galvez also assisted the Americans with supplies and soldiers. Gálvez, saw it convenient for France and Spain to go ahead on the cause of the American revolutionaries, was among those who made the terms of the Peace of Paris (1783) that ended the war. By the 1783 treaty Spain officially earned back East and West Florida from the British. In recognition of his work and help to the American cause, George Washington took him to his right in the parade of July 4 and the American Congress cited Gálvez for his aid during the Revolution.Galveston Bay, Galveston, Texas, Galvez, Louisiana, and St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana were, among others, named after him.