VIVA NOLA April-May 2024

Don Bernardo de Gálvez
y Madrid
Fifth Governor of Spanish Louisiana
(1777-1783).
Drove the British from the Mississippi
River and the Gulf of Mexico, keeping
vital supply lines open during the
American War of Independence.
Gave Louisiana its first military glory.
Former Site of Gálvez
Monument in New
Orleans.
Photographer: Richard
E. Miller. Taken: July
15, 2009
Additional Description: view
northward from the New Orleans
World Trade Center.
Submitted: October 30, 2009,
by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill,
Maryland.
Database Locator Identification
Number: p82952 Website:
https://www.hmdb.org/m.
asp?m=41111
Allowed to add the “I Alone” (“Yo
Solo”) to his Coat of Arms by King
Charles III.
Bring Bernardo Back!
Positioned New Orleans as the
Gateway to the Americas.
Promoted to Viceroy of New Spain
(Mexico and Central America)
Named one of only eight persons
awarded Honorary Citizenship of
the United States, joining singular
figures such as Winston Churchill and
Mother Teresa.
Gálvez Monument proposed
Site. Canal Street, ​New Orleans.
8
DONATE:
VIVA NOLA MAGAZINE - April / May 2024
A
few years ago, a Bernardo de
Gálvez statue went missing from
Canal Street’s landscape.
Donated by the Government of Spain,
the Bernardo de Gálvez Monument was
erected in 1977 to commemorate the
bicentennial year of the independence
of the United States to which the Spanish
Governor so decisively contributed.
When work began to convert the
World Trade Center Building (“WTC”) into
a hotel and residences, the Four Seasons
Group committed to protecting the statue
by removing it during the construction
phase and refurbishing it in preparation
for its return to its historical site, guarding
the river.
The Gálvez statue is particularly
significant to members of the local
Hispanic community and all lovers of New
Orleans’ rich history.
Bernardo de Gálvez, a Spanish
military leader and colonial administrator,
played a pivotal role in the American
Revolutionary War. Serving as the
Governor of Louisiana, Gálvez secured
vital support for the American colonies,
contributing significantly to their fight
for independence. Gálvez’s strategic
brilliance and unwavering commitment
earned him the “Hero of the American
Revolution” title.
In 1777, Gálvez, at 30, became the fifth
governor of the Louisiana Territory during
the Spanish governance period.
His career was propelled by his father,
a general in Central America, and his
uncle, a royal minister under Carlos III.
The young governor promptly endeared
himself to the local colony by marrying
Marie Félicité de Saint Maxent d’Estrehan,
a Creole beauty.
Because of his outstanding
contributions to our region, concerned
residents want to bring Bernardo back
and raise the funds necessary to re-erect
and relocate the Gálvez Monument on
an enhanced pedestal, which the new
restoration design recommends and the
monument deserves.
Help us bring the Gálvez monument
back and ensure its significance endures
for generations to come. Your support
will help us honor our past, celebrate our
present, and shape our future.
Here are the ways you can help:
- Talk to your friends about the
monument’s significance
- Get involved. Contact the DAMAS Y
CABALLEROS DE NUEVA ORLEANS via
email at hamacagalvez24@gmail.com
- Donate:
Bank Account Gulf Coast Bank
Routing: 265070435
Account: 101473445
Online: Venmo: @hamaca
Paypal: hamacagalvez24@gmail.com
- Fundraising Events: Stay tuned for
upcoming exciting fundraising events!
Check bringbernardoback.org for
updates and information.