Ally for Independence

Ally for Independence. National Mall and Memorial Parks. , The man on the horse in front of you is Bernardo de Gálvez. During the American Revolution, Gálvez was the governor of Spanish Louisiana, part of New Spain, a huge territory stretching from Canada to Central America. Early in the war, Gálvez quietly gave the United States supplies and money. When Spain declared war on Britain, Gálvez and his soldiers captured British forts in Natchez, Baton Rouge, and Mobile. His greatest victory was the conquest of Pensacola in 1781. Gálvez defeated the British force after a two-month siege waged by ships and ground troops., Spain's control of southern lands and waters allowed France, military ally of Spain, along with the U.S. to fight the British in Virginia. This help, plus the money and supplies sent to the Americans during the war, ultimately led to the British surrender in Yorktown, Virginia in 1781., For his help, Bernardo de Gálvez was made an honorary citizen of the US. But he was not the only Spaniard to aid the fledging United States. Hispanics from present day Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic also fought and raised funds to make American independence a reality., [Captions:] , Bernardo de Gálvez (on horseback) and his troops marched 100 miles through swamps to attack British forts. Assembled in New Orleans, the army was made up of Spaniards, American and French militiamen, free blacks, and Native Americans, all of them inhabitants of Spanish Louisiana., To learn more about the people and events behind Spain's support of US independence, visit unveilingmemories.com or scan the code to the right.