Bernardo de Gálvez, the Spanish governor of Louisiana, which included what is now Texas, was a critical, albeit often overlooked, figure in the American Revolutionary War. He provided crucial covert aid to George Washington’s Continental Army even before Spain officially entered the conflict, secretly supplying them with weapons, ammunition, cattle for food, and financial support via the Mississippi River, circumventing British blockades.
Once Spain declared war, Gálvez launched decisive military campaigns against British forces along the Gulf Coast, capturing key strongholds like Baton Rouge, Mobile, and most notably, Pensacola. These victories significantly diverted British resources and attention from the main American front, securing vital supply lines for the colonists and directly contributing to the American triumph by weakening British military power in the South.
Do you know if your Texian or Acadian ancestors helped Gálvez in the Revolutionary War?