José de Gálvez, 1st Marquess of Sonora facts for kids
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José Gálvez
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Portrait of Gálvez, 1785
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| Born | 2 January 1720 Macharaviaya, Kingdom of Spain |
| Died | 17 June 1787 Aranjuez, Kingdom of Spain |
José de Gálvez y Gallardo, 1st Marquess of Sonora (born January 2, 1720, in Macharaviaya, Spain – died June 17, 1787, in Aranjuez, Spain) was an important Spanish official. He served as an inspector general (called Visitador general) in New Spain from 1764 to 1772. Later, he joined the Council of the Indies from 1775 to 1787.
Gálvez was a key person behind the Bourbon Reforms. These were changes made by the Spanish kings to improve how their empire was run. He came from a powerful political family. His brother, Matías de Gálvez y Gallardo, and his nephew, Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Count of Gálvez, were also important figures.
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Early Life and Career Path
José de Gálvez came from a noble family, but they were not rich. After his father died, he worked as a shepherd for a while. He then studied at a special Catholic school in Málaga.
Gálvez soon realized he didn't want to be a priest. So, the local bishop helped him study law at Salamanca. He earned his law degree from the University of Alcalá.
Working in Madrid
Gálvez became a lawyer in Madrid. He handled many cases related to the Spanish colonies, known as the Indies. This work helped him get noticed by powerful people. These included ministers of King Charles III.
Gálvez married María Magdalena de Grimaldo, but she died a year later. He then married Lucía Romet y Pichelín. She was a well-connected woman from a French family. Her connections helped Gálvez get a job as a legal advisor at the French embassy in Madrid.
He continued to rise in society and politics. In 1762, he became a lawyer for Prince Carlos. This prince later became King Carlos IV. In 1765, Gálvez was chosen to be the visitador (inspector) of New Spain. His job was to gather information and make changes to increase the king's money from the colonies.
Inspector General in New Spain
In 1765, when he was 45, Gálvez arrived in New Spain. This huge area included all of Spanish North America. As the visitador del virreinato de Nueva España, he had a lot of power. His authority was often greater than the viceroy (the king's main representative).
Gálvez's main task was to fix New Spain's finances. Spain needed more money after the expensive Seven Years' War. During this war, Britain had captured Havana and Manila. Spain also had to give Florida to Britain.
Financial Changes and Reforms
As inspector, Gálvez quickly made big changes. He improved how taxes were collected and how money was accounted for. He also put corrupt officials in jail.
He created a government monopoly on tobacco. This meant only the government could sell it. He also added new taxes on drinks like pulque and on flour. Gálvez worked to stop illegal trade. He also reformed the customs system in Veracruz and Acapulco. He stopped private companies from collecting customs fees.
Gálvez also set up general accounting offices in city governments. These changes helped government revenues grow a lot. They went from 6 million pesos in 1763 to 12 million in 1773.
In 1765, Gálvez helped reorganize the army. He also favored Spanish merchants who were born in Spain. This helped direct money into the mining industry. He further boosted mining by lowering the price of mercury. Mercury was controlled by the crown and was needed to refine silver ore.
Expulsion of the Jesuits
In 1767, King Carlos III ordered the expulsion of the Jesuits from all his lands. In Mexico, this caused riots. Gálvez stopped these disturbances with quick trials and harsh punishments. Many people were given life imprisonment.
Managing Baja California Missions
After the Jesuits were expelled from the Baja California peninsula, Gálvez asked the Franciscan Order to take over the missions. The Spanish military had been running the missions' daily business. In 1768, Gálvez visited the Baja missions. He was unhappy with the poor management he found.
He ordered that all Baja missions, except Mission Loreto, be fully handed over to the Franciscan friars. He also banned card-playing and gambling in mission towns. Gálvez punished soldiers who misbehaved. He sent many to the upcoming expedition to Alta California.
Gálvez continued to manage Baja California affairs in 1769. He tried to balance resources among the missions. Some missions had too many people and not enough land or water. Others had plenty of land but not enough workers. He ordered Native Americans to move between missions to fix this. He also sent young Native American orphans to Loreto. There, they learned to handle coastal boats.
Gálvez worked with Junípero Serra, the Franciscan leader in Baja. They tried to improve the lives of the native people. However, Gálvez insisted that Baja Native Americans pay the royal tax.
Plans for Alta California
Gálvez wanted to make Spain's empire in New Spain stronger. He suggested creating a large new government area in the northwest. This would include Sinaloa, Sonora, Chihuahua, and the Californias. This also meant expanding into upper (Alta) California, which was not yet settled by Spain.
He used fears that other countries, like Britain and the Netherlands, wanted California. When a report came that Catherine the Great of Russia planned settlements there, Gálvez used this to push his plan. King Carlos agreed.
Gálvez then prepared several expeditions. These included soldiers, sailors, craftspeople, Christian Native Americans, and missionaries. Their goal was to move north into unexplored Alta California. In 1768, Gálvez sailed to Loreto to finalize the plans.
Organizing the Expeditions
To free up the Franciscan missionaries in Baja California, Gálvez asked the Dominican Order to take over their missions. He assigned Junípero Serra to lead the missionary team for the Alta California expedition. Serra was eager to go and spread Christianity in Alta California.
Gálvez set up a naval base at San Blas. In 1768–1769, he organized sea and land expeditions. They would travel up the California coast to a planned Spanish outpost. This outpost was at the harbor called Monterrey. Gaspar de Portolá, the governor of Las Californias, led the second land expedition.
Gálvez paid close attention to every detail. He gave clear instructions to the officers. He ordered Miguel Costansó, a young engineer, to map the ports of San Diego and Monterey. He also told him to explore the land around them. Gálvez also ordered a fort to be built at Monterey. He wanted detailed reports sent to officials in Mexico and Spain.
Journeys to Alta California
On January 9, 1769, Gálvez, Padre Serra, and townspeople gathered at La Paz. They blessed the San Carlos, the main ship of the expedition. The ship, along with the San Antonio and San José, had arrived leaking from San Blas. Gálvez personally helped with the repairs and loading.
In his speech, Gálvez said the crew's mission was to plant the holy cross among the Native Americans at Monterey. He urged the explorers to keep peace and respect their chaplain. When the San Carlos sailed, Gálvez followed in a small boat to see it leave.
On February 15, Gálvez sent off the San Antonio, the second ship. Captain Juan Pérez commanded it. The third ship, the San José, was lost at sea.
Portolá's Overland Instructions
While Gaspar de Portolá prepared his land expedition, Gálvez gave him strict orders:
- Maintain strict discipline among soldiers and muleteers.
- Treat Native Americans well.
- Punish soldiers severely if they harm Native American women. Such actions could ruin the whole expedition.
Gálvez also told Portolá to travel slowly. This would reduce the chance of Native American resistance. He wanted the expedition to show Native Americans the benefits of living under Spanish rule.
The first land expedition was led by Fernando Rivera y Moncada. Gálvez had ordered Rivera to get horses and mules from Baja California missions. He had to do this without harming the missions. He gave receipts for the animals taken. These missions would later get new animals from Mexico.
Franciscan friar Juan Crespí joined Rivera's group as chaplain and diarist. On March 24, 1769, Rivera's group began their journey. They had 25 soldiers, 42 Christian Native Americans, and 3 muleteers. They also drove many cattle, horses, and mules. They arrived in San Diego on May 14. The San Carlos and San Antonio were already there.
Meanwhile, the second land party, led by Portolá, gathered in Loreto. This was about 900 miles south of San Diego. The Portolá expedition included Franciscan missionaries led by Junípero Serra.
This expedition founded the Mission San Diego de Alcalá and the Royal Presidio of San Diego in July 1769. Portolá then continued north. He explored the Alta California coast and re-established the port of Monterey.
In November 1769, the Portolá expedition discovered San Francisco Bay. They then returned to San Diego. A second trip in 1770 led to the founding of the Presidio of Monterey and Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo (Mission Carmel).
Gálvez had hoped Alta California would bring a lot of money to Spain. However, the region actually cost Spain money for most of its time under Spanish rule.
Gálvez's Impact on California
Historians say Gálvez was the most effective inspector general in New Spain's history. They believe Spain's expansion into Alta California happened because of his strong personal drive. He was a very smart and powerful leader. But he was also seen as vain, selfish, and sometimes unstable. It was this mix of traits that made the settlement of San Diego and Monterey finally happen.
End of His Inspection Tour
Gálvez returned to Spain in 1771. In 1769, he had become very ill, possibly from overwork and conflicts with Native Americans in Sonora. He recovered, but his time as inspector ended with some difficulties. He then took up his position on the Council of the Indies, which he had been appointed to in 1767.
Bourbon Reforms Across Spanish America
José de Gálvez returned to Spain in 1772. He became a member of important councils, including the Council of the Indies. He was also a state councilor.
He was allowed to set up a new government unit called the Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas. This area was independent of the viceroy of New Spain. It included northern territories like Nueva Vizcaya, Sonora, and the Californias. Chihuahua became its capital.
Gálvez wanted to organize the overseas administration better. He also created the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata in 1776. This new viceroyalty was made from parts of the Viceroyalty of Peru. He also created the Captaincy General of Venezuela in 1777. These new governments aimed to expand settlements and boost the economy.
He also established the Real Compañía de Filipinas, a trading company. In 1778, he founded the General Archive of the Indies. This archive brought together important documents about the Spanish colonies. Also in 1778, he allowed limited free trade among the colonies. As Minister of the Indies, he helped his brother Matías become governor of Guatemala. Matías later became viceroy of New Spain.
In 1780, Gálvez asked all Spanish subjects to donate money to help the American Revolution. Millions of pesos were given. In 1784, he set a standard tax on importing African slaves into the colonies.
In 1786, he made another big change. He introduced the intendencia system across most of the Americas. This system involved new officials called Intendants to manage local areas.
When the Túpac Amaru rebellion broke out in Peru in 1781, and the Comunero Revolt in New Granada (Colombia), Gálvez ordered very harsh responses.
His Legacy
Gálvez was a very strong administrator. He made big changes in Spanish America to strengthen the king's power. He wanted to make things more efficient and increase royal income. He also reduced the power of American-born elites.
Some historians say that while he created a more organized government, he also upset many people. He pushed many Americans and even some Spaniards out of their traditional roles and powers.
