Unboxing the Archive: Spanish Louisiana

Ralph Thompson from the National Archives discusses a document from the PRO 30 series, focusing on a warrant from Don Bernardo de Galvez, governor of Spanish Louisiana, to Poucha Houmas. The document, dated 1779, is aesthetically significant and provides insight into colonial American administration. It highlights Spanish efforts to form alliances with local tribes during the American Revolutionary War. The video also covers related documents, including British intelligence papers and reports on Galvez's military actions, providing a broader historical context.

Who was Sir Guy Carleton in the context of the Carleton Papers?

• The first commander of the British forces in New York

• The last commander in chief of the British forces in New York

• A Spanish governor in Louisiana

• A volunteer in the cataloging project

What was the purpose of the warrant issued by Don Bernardo de Galvez?

• To negotiate peace with the British

• To establish a new Spanish colony

• To authorize Poucha Houmas as king of the local Southern people

• To declare war on the British

Why were the Spanish in Louisiana keen to make allies with local tribes?

• To convert them to Christianity

• To trade goods with the British

• To strengthen their position against the British

• To expand their territory into Canada

Which town was named in honor of Don Bernardo de Galvez?

• New Orleans

• Galveston

• Pensacola

• Nassau

What significant event took place in Pensacola in 1781?

• It became the capital of Spanish Louisiana

• It was destroyed by a hurricane

• The British captured it from the Spanish

• De Galvez captured it from the British

What was the outcome of De Galvez's campaign in the British Bahamas?

• He established a new Spanish colony

• He captured the port town of Nassau

• He was defeated by the British fleet

• He signed a peace treaty with the British

What was the significance of the collection of papers bound at the New York City library in the 1930s?

• They were bequeathed to the queen by General Eisenhower

• They were used to negotiate peace with the Spanish

• They were a gift from the British government

• They were lost during the American Revolutionary War