Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
G
Galicia
A region in northwestern Spain (with an
area of more than 11,000 square miles)
possessing a strong sense of its distinctive
historical and cultural identity, Galicia
preserves Celtic traditions and a language
rich in distinctive literature. A separate
kingdom under Teutonic invaders from
the fifth century
A
.
D
., Galicia was subse-
quently ruled by Muslims, linked to the
adjacent kingdom of A
STURIAS
, then incor-
porated with L
EÓN
and C
ASTILE
. Galicia
and her southern neighbor, Portugal, have
many linguistic ties and historical affini-
ties that have led some observers to sug-
gest—overly simplistically—that their
populations possess a single ethnicity.
Modern Galician nationalism, however,
rejects such an analysis and maintains that
Galicia, like C
ATALONIA
and the B
ASQUE
PROVINCES
, deserves a special status of
autonomy within Spain. Galicia's location
on the Atlantic coast and the importance
of the port at La Coruña have also served
to encourage in the Galicians a greater
sense of the wider world than is found
among some other Iberians. This has led
many of them to venture abroad as sea-
men or immigrants.
Gálvez, Bernardo de (conde de
Gálvez)
(1746-1786)
Spanish colonial administrator
One of Spain's most able and active repre-
sentatives in the New World, Gálvez began
his military career with service in North
Africa and the Portuguese campaign during
the Seven Years' War. He then accompanied
his uncle J
OSE
DE
G
ÁLVEZ
to N
EW
S
PAIN
,
where he gained further experience fight-
ing the Apache on the northern frontier.
After a brief stay in M
ADRID
he was sent to
New Orleans to take command of the Span-
ish garrison there and by 1777 had been
promoted to governor of L
OUISIANA
.
Gálvez demonstrated his administrative
skills and talent for public relations by facil-
itating trade, winning over the local Indian
population, and easing tensions between
the French and Spanish residents in New
Orleans. With an eye to the British pres-
ence in Spain's former territory in F
LORIDA
he initiated covert support for the Ameri-
can rebels. After Spain formally recognized
the independence of the United States
Gálvez launched a series of military opera-
tions that gradually won control of West
Florida (the coastal regions of present-day
Mississippi and Alabama) and in 1781 cap-
tured Pensacola, leading to the retrocession
197
Search WWH ::
Custom Search