Matías de Gálvez y Gallardo

Matías de Gálvez y Gallardo (Macharaviaya, July 23, 1717 - Mexico City, November 3, 1784) was a Spanish soldier and politician of the century xviii. Sent by his brother, José de Gálvez, Marquis of Sonora, as militia inspector to the Captaincy General of Guatemala, he became captain general, after the departure of Martín de Mayorga, who was named viceroy of New Spain. After An effective work at the head of the Guatemalan government, which included the reconquest of the San Fernando Fortress from the English and the construction of the New Guatemala of the Asunción, he was named viceroy of New Spain, again replacing Mayorga.

Origins and initial activities

He was the firstborn of the Gálvez de Macharaviaya family, born on July 23, 1717 in Macharaviaya, son of Antonio de Gálvez y García de Carvajal and Ana Gallardo y Cabrera. In 1745, he married María Josefa from Madrid - a cousin - and had two sons, Bernardo and José, who died at the age of eight. After his first wife died in 1748 while giving birth to his second son, Gálvez contracted He remarried in 1750 with Ana de Zayas y Ramos, with whom he moved to Madrid, where he lived in 1756. He was a career military man, but he did not begin to rise until he enjoyed the support of his brother José.

Canary period

Matías de Gálvez moved to Tenerife in 1757 to manage the Gorvorana estate, located in Realejo Alto, today Los Realejos, in the north of the island; he took his son Bernardo, who was only five years old, there. After entering a military career, he served as governor of the coastal fortress of Paso Alto, near Santa Cruz de Tenerife, until 1775 and, from that year on, as the king's lieutenant—lieutenant of the commanding general.

Captain General of Guatemala

By order of his brother José de Gálvez, then Secretary of State of the Office of the Indies, he left the island of Tenerife in 1778 and was appointed inspector general of the Troops and Militias of Guatemala. Upon arriving in Guatemala he took charge of military affairs mainly between Chiquimulilla and El Salvador, also organizing the military corps of several cities, especially that of Comayagua. His main concern upon reaching his destination was to improve the defenses of the territory, threatened by the British, with whom he had broken out. the war on June 16, 1779.

On April 4, 1779, thanks to the influence of his brother, he was appointed captain general and president of the Royal Court of Guatemala, replacing Martín de Mayorga, who had suffered the disaster of the Santa Marta earthquakes in 1773 and forced the residents to move the capital from the destroyed Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala to the Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción. Matías de Gálvez was then responsible for the construction of the Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción, on some new land in the valley of La Ermita. He installed a mint (mint) and worked on the construction of the new Metropolitan Cathedral, which he left with its walls raised when he finished his administration. He laid the first stone of the building in 1782. His work in the construction of the new city was such that the Creole City Council named him "The first father of the country."

The British tried to take over Mosquitia and conquered three strategic forts in the area: San Felipe del Golfo Dulce - very weakened in its defenses -, Inmaculada Concepción on the San Juan River and San Fernando de Omoa. —with insufficient equipment and weapons—. Shortly after beginning his presidency, on October 20, the English took control of the latter, located in the Bay of Honduras; Gálvez had promised to send reinforcements to hold the plaza and guarantee its defense, but he did not do so, which made the task of the British forces easier and was a loss for his reputation. Once the castle was lost, however, Gálvez hurried to gather the troops stationed in Amatitlán, Sacatepéquez, Olancho, Tegucigalpa, Santa Ana, Comayagua, San Salvador and Nueva Segovia, moved to the northern coast of Honduras and surrounded the fort on November 26; managed to reconquer the fortress on January 5, 1781, and expel the English from the San River Juan (in November 1779) and Lake Cocibolca. He returned to Trujillo to rest his troops and wait for the ships that were to allow him to attack the British at the forts on the island of Roatán, which he recovered on March 17, 1782. After having driven the English out of the Bay of Honduras, he returned to Guatemala City that same year. As a reward for his victories against the British, he was promoted to lieutenant general of the Army.

Viceroy of New Spain

Martín de Mayorga was relieved of his position at the end of 1782, in October of this year Gálvez was named viceroy of New Spain. He left Guatemala on March 8 and took possession on April 28 of that same year. first as interim and, since August 14, as property; he was succeeded by Brigadier José de Estachería as captain general of Guatemala.

In his new position he had numerous disputes with the Court, which the Crown generally ruled against him. He had greater fortune in economic matters: the improvement of the economy after the war with the United Kingdom allowed him to undertake a series of works publics such as the improvement of roads - which favored commerce - and certain reforms in Mexico City.

Death

The change in climate greatly affected his health, causing him severe pain; This forced him to delegate command to the Royal Court and retire from service. When he was older, when he assumed the position of viceroy, gout paralyzed his arms and prevented him from even signing. He died on the morning of November 3, 1784. His son, Bernardo, until then governor of Havana, succeeded him as viceroy. He was buried in the church of San Fernando in Mexico.

Additional bibliography

• Sesmero Ruiz, Julián (1987). The Gálvez de Macharaviaya. Málaga: Bobastro. ISBN 978-84-86511-00-5.