Battle Of Pensacola Essay

The Battle of Pensacola was a war involving the countries of Spain and Britain fighting over the territory of Pensacola, Florida. Pensacola, Florida is a little city bodied by the Gulf of Mexico. Pensacola is roughly 60 miles east of Mobile, Alabama as well as 48 miles west of Destin, Florida. Pensacola, Florida was the first settlement of America. There has been conversational debate over if it was Saint Augustine or Pensacola to be the first settlement in this country, causing Pensacola won that debate! On March 9th 1781, Fernando De Galvez battled to have control over Pensacola from the British. Bernardo Vicente Apolinar de Galvez was born in 1746 in Malaga, Spain, Galvez was the son of a military man. Galvez was only sixteen years own when

Galvez was only 29 years old when he was appointed governor of Louisiana. His land consisted of the Mississippi River to the Rockies, from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada and was traded as a deal with the French Creole population which to promote commerce, fight smuggling, cultivate friendship with the Indians, build the population and in case of war against Great Britain, he was expected to attack and take Florida. The Battle of Pensacola was one of the most significant engagements of the American Revolution. The battle lasted for two months before Florida was won over by Spain. Traces of the battlefield are preserved canons scattered throughout downtown Pensacola, especially on Palafox street. The Spanish forced used more than 40 ships along with a crew of 3,500 men. By April 23rd, Galvez’s “backup” arrived increasing their crew of men by 4,300 men, creating a force of 7,800 total men to help fight this battle. The morning of May 8th, 1781, The British ushered a surrender, resulting in the Spanish

As The British took control over the city, they turned it into a safe place. In other words, the whole downtown area was completely remodeled into as many forts as they could make. That is why all of the canons are centralized downtown and really nowhere else in the City of Pensacola. The British feared attack because as they were constructing their fortess, Galvez had just taken over modern day, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge which happen to be fairly close to pensacola, roughly 200 miles. To begin Galvez’s voyage, he put together a rather small team and continued from the Louisiana territories and headed towards Pensacola, stopping in modern day Mobile, Alabama and taking head of that territory. After building Fort Charlotte and Spanish Fort, Galvex returned on his journey to the City of Pensacola by ship taking the bay route now known as Pensacola Bay. The battle began by Galvez opening a battery on a hill just enough in range to Fort George and fired. As did the British retaliated. On May 8th 1781, a Spanish shell struck the powder magazine in the Queen’s redoubt causing to kill more than 100 British