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When Americans tell the story of the Revolutionary War, the focus is usually on George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the battles fought in the thirteen colonies. Yet independence was also won through foreign support. Some of it, in France's case, was quite overt. Spain also supported the American cause, but its support was more covert. At the center of it all was a Spanish commander whose campaigns crippled Britain and helped make the victory at Yorktown possible. His name is little known today, but his impact was enormous. Learn more about Bernardo de Galvez and Spain's hidden role in the American Revolution on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. This episode is sponsored by the Tourist Office of Spain. Think you know Spain? Think again. Maybe you picture beaches, sunshine and sangria. And yes, Spain has world famous coastlines and beautiful weather. But that's only the beginning. Spain is one of the most diverse and surprising countries in the world, with experiences that go far beyond the postcard images. This is a place where you can stand inside a Roman amphitheater in the morning, tour a medieval castle in the afternoon, and enjoy a cutting edge modern city in the evening. You can wander the grand boulevards and museums of Madrid, admire the architectural wonders of Barcelona, explore the Moorish splendor of Granada, or discover the hidden charm of cities like Salamanca, Cordoba and Zaragoza. Think you know Spanish food? Think again. Every region has its own identity and flavors. Pinchos in the Basque country, paella in Valencia, fresh seafood in Galicia and tapas in Andalusia. World class wines, olive oils, cheeses, cured meats and local markets can turn every meal into an experience. Thinking of Spanish landscapes? Think again. Spain offers snowy mountains, green northern coasts, dramatic deserts, rolling vineyards, Mediterranean islands and hiking trails that stretch for hundreds of miles. You can ski in the Sierra Nevada, surf in the north, or relax on the beaches of Mallorca, the Menorca, Ibiza or the Canary Islands. And getting around is easy thanks to one of Europe's best high speed rail networks, modern infrastructure and warm hospitality wherever you go. So if you're planning your next big trip, don't settle for what you think you know. Visit spain.info to start planning your next trip today. That's spain.info even if you're a student of the American Revolution, there is a good chance that you're not familiar familiar with the name Bernardo de Galvez. However, you should be. Galvez played a role just as important as many people that we call Founding fathers. But he did so out of the limelight and as such hasn't gotten the credit he deserves. Bernardo Vicente de Galvez y Madrid was born on July 23, 1746, outside the city of Malaga, and went on to become a Spanish military leader and government official who served as colonial governor of Spanish Louisiana and Cuba, and later as the Viceroy of New Spain. And it should be noted that the Louisiana Territory was under Spanish control from 1762 to 1800, during the period of the American Revolution. The French didn't get it back until 1800 and then flipped the property just three years later. Galvez joined the Spanish military as a teen. He quickly rose through the ranks thanks to the influence of his father, a general stationed in Central America, as well as his uncle, a royal minister. A career soldier, he served in the 1762 war against Portugal, fought the Apache in Mexico in 1770, and was wounded in Spain's failed 1775 invasion of Algiers. In the invasion of Algiers, he aided in the capture of a fortress, which led to his promotion to lieutenant colonel. For the purposes of this episode, Bernardo de Galvez enters the story of the American Revolution when he was dispatched to New Orleans as a colonel in June of 1776, and less than a year later, he was appointed governor of the Louisiana Territory. On New Year's Day, 1777, at the age of 30, Galvez was a skilled administrator and the colony thrived under his rule. His policies helped increase trade and immigration to Louisiana. His marriage to the daughter of a prominent local French Creole family won him the loyalty of the colony settlers. As governor, he enacted an anti British policy, taking measures against British smuggling and promoting trade with France. France. He founded Galvez town in 1779, promoted the colonization of Nueva Iberia, and established free trade with Cuba and the Yucatan. During this entire time, of course, the Continental army was fighting the British on the east coast, seemingly far away from New Orleans and the Louisiana Territory. Galvez didn't spend this time as an innocent bystander or observer to the conflict that was happening in the British colonies. Galvez provided significant assistance to the American cause. Even before Spain officially joined the Revolutionary War. He maintained direct communication with key figures, including Charles Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry. Furthermore, he personally met with their representatives, Captain George Gibson and Oliver Pollock. In response to their requests, Galvez ensured that the Mississippi river remained available exclusively to Spanish, French and American vessels. As such, he played an important role in blocking British access to their forts and territories to the west of the colonies. In 1777, Galvez stepped up his support and began to smuggle supplies to the American rebels, shipping gunpowder, muskets, uniforms, medicine, and other supplies through the British blockade to Ohio, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia by way of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. His famous reply to American requests for aid captured his careful, duplicitous strategy. He noted, I will extend whatever assistance I can, but it must appear that I am ignorant of all of it. And that last bit is really crucial because in December 1776, King Charles III of Spain decided that covert assistance to the American colonies would be strategically useful. But Spain did not enter into any formal alliance with the colonies. Spain was not eager to endorse a colonial rebellion on principle. The Spanish empire ruled vast territories in the Americas, from Mexico to South America and the Caribbean. Publicly backing colonists who had revolted against their king could set a dangerous example for Spain's own subjects. Madrid wanted to weaken Britain, but it did not want to legitimize revolution or republicanism on the American continents. Also, Spain just wasn't ready for war. After losing territory and prestige to Britain during the Seven Years War, Spain needed time to rebuild its navy, strengthen defenses, and coordinate policy with France. Covert aid allowed Spain to hurt Britain indirectly while still buying time to prepare militarily. And finally, Spain's real objective was geopolitical advantage, not American independence itself. Spanish leaders hoped to recover Gibraltar, Florida, and other territories that had been lost to Britain. Secretly supplying the Americans with gunpowder, money, weapons, and access through New Orleans and the Mississippi river tied down British forces and drained British resources without forcing Spain into immediate open conflict. By 1779, however, Spain was finally ready and formally declared war on Britain. To preempt a suspected British assault on New Orleans, Galvez mobilized a diverse force composed of Choctaw enslaved individuals, freed blacks, and local settlers of French and German descent. This mobilization launched the Mississippi river Campaign of 1779. Despite the grueling heat and swampy terrain, Galvez conducted a rampant offensive against British strongholds. His forces successfully took Fort Brute at Manchak and overcame the British at Baton Rouge, leading to the negotiated surrender of Natchez. These strategic triumphs effectively ousted the British from the Lower Mississippi and fortified Spanish Louisiana. Furthermore, the campaign severed British connections with Loyalists and native allies while forcing the British to redirect their military focus away from the American Revolution. Galvez then turned his attention to the British on the Gulf Coast. The siege of Mobile in 1780 was Bernardo de Galvez campaign to capture the British held port of Mobile in present day Alabama. After storms scattered part of his fleet, Galvez reorganized his forces, landed troops, and laid siege to Fort Charlotte. Following sustained artillery bombardment, the British surrendered in March of 1780. The victory further weakened British control of the Gulf coast and isolated Pensacola, 50 miles from Mobile, as Britain's last major stronghold in West Florida. The siege of Pensacola, fought From March to May 1781 was Bernardo de Galvez's greatest victory and one of the most important Spanish campaigns of the American Revolution. Pensacola was the capital of British West Florida and the strongest British base on the Gulf Coast. As long as Britain held it, they threatened Spanish Louisiana controlled access to the Gulf of Mexico and could support operations against the American rebels from the south. Galvez understood that taking Pensacola would break British power in the region. So he assembled a large multinational force from across the Spanish empire, including troops from Cuba, Louisiana, Mexico, regular Spanish soldiers, militia, free black troops and allied native forces. The campaign itself began with difficulty. Pensacola Bay was protected by coastal batteries and a dangerous entrance channel. Some Spanish naval officers hesitated to sail in under British fire. Galvez famously took a smaller vessel and personally led the way into the harbor, shaming the rest of the fleet into following. Once ashore, the Spanish began a formal siege. British defenses centered on Fort George, supported by outer redoubts and artillery positions. Over several weeks, Spanish engineers dug trenches closer to the defenses while artillery batteries pounded the British lines. The work was slow, dangerous and conducted under constant enemy fire in rough terrain. The decisive moment came on May 8, 1781 when a Spanish artillery shell struck the powder magazine on the Queen's Redoubt, one of the key British out defenses. The explosion killed many defenders and shattered the British position. Spanish troops quickly seized the ruined redoubt, allowing their guns to fire directly on Fort George. With his outer defenses lost and the main fort exposed, British General John Campbell realized the situation was hopeless. He surrendered to Spanish forces on May 10, 1781. The fall of Pensacola ended British rule in West Florida and gave Spain control of the Gulf coast. It also forced Britain to divert men and resources away from the Maine war in the eastern colonies with the American rebels. That mattered greatly because later that same year Britain would be trapped at Yorktown. While Yorktown became the famous final battle in the Revolution, Pensacola was the major strategic blow that helped make the British defeat possible. Bernardo de Galvez emerged from the siege as one of the most effective allied commanders of of the entire war. From the American perspective, Galvez's campaign denied the British the opportunity to encircle the American rebels from the south and kept open a vital supply conduit. The Spanish conquest of Florida also eliminated a threat to the French West Indies, freeing up Admiral Francois Joseph Paul de Grasse to remain in the Chesapeake Bay and to trap General Cornwallis at Yorktown. For France and Spain. Galvez's military success in the American war effort led to the inclusion of provisions in the Peace of Paris in 1783 that officially returned Florida, now divided into east and West Florida, back to Spain. In honor of his bravery, Galvez was made a count and was appointed governor of Cuba and Captain General of Louisiana and West Florida. After the war, King Carlos III showered Galvez with honors. He gave Galvez permission to use the phrase yo solo or I alone on his coat of arms in memory of the heroic action in which you alone force the entrance of Pensacola Bay. In 1785, the king named Galvez to succeed his late father as Viceroy of New Spain. Galvez governed Spain's American possessions only for a year and a half, as he died of yellow fever in Mexico City in November 1786, and at the age of 40, the city of Galveston, Texas. Galveston Bay and Galvez, Louisiana, as well as other places were all named after him. But soon after his death, Galvez's contributions to American independence were largely forgotten. However, on December 16, 2014, the United States Congress conferred honorary American citizenship on Bernardo de Galvez, citing him as a hero of the Revolutionary War who risked his life for the freedom of the United States people and provided supplies, intelligence, and strong military support to the war effort. He is one of only eight people ever to be granted honorary US citizenship in American history. In 2019, the Spanish government placed a statue of Galvez in front of the Spanish Embassy in Washington, D.C. now, there is one more interesting footnote to this story. The last bit doesn't lie in the United States. It lies in the city of Malaga, Spain. Malaga is in southern Spain and lies on the Mediterranean coast. It's the sixth largest city in Spain, with a population of just under 600,000 people. The Cathedral of Malaga was constructed between 1528 and in 1782. Its ending date falls during the American Revolution. One of the cathedral's best known oddities is that it's missing a tower. Legend has it that the money intended to complete it was redirected to support the American War of Independence. The most popular version of the story says that funds to complete the second tower, 400,000 gold reales, equivalent to about $20 million today, were given to Malaga native Bernardo de Galvez to fight the British. To this day, the cathedral stands with only one completed tower, a physical reminder of Spain's sacrifice in support of American independence. This unfinished state has led to the cathedral being called La Manquita, meaning in English, the one armed Lady. So if you ever happen to be in Malaga, you can visit one of the unintended monuments in to the American Revolution. Bernardo de Galvez never became a household name in the United States, yet the nation's story would be very different without him. His victories along the Gulf coast, his shipments of supplies to the Continental army, and Spain's broader war against Britain all help make American independence possible. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Austin Otkin and Cameron Kiefer. My big thanks go to everyone who supports the show over on Patreon. Your support helps make this podcast possible, and I also want to remind everyone about the community groups on Facebook and Discord. That's where everything happens that's outside the podcast, and links to those are available in the show Notes. As always, if you leave a review on any major podcast app or in the above community groups, you too can have it read on the show.