The city of Málaga is hosting the exhibition '250 years. Spaniards in the birth of a nation,' a display that delves into Spain's decisive participation in the independence of the United States. The free exhibition will be open to the public until April 30 at the exhibition hall of the Empresa Pública para la Gestión del Turismo y del Deporte de Andalucía, located at Compañía Street, 40.
The exhibition's main protagonist is Bernardo de Gálvez, a native of Macharaviaya and governor of Louisiana, whose work was fundamental in the Spanish offensive against Great Britain in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the exhibition goes beyond a single figure, also highlighting José de Gálvez, considered the political mastermind of the family, and Matías de Gálvez, a key player on the Central American front.
Promoted by the Institute of Military History and Culture and the Junta de Andalucía, the exhibition covers the last 50 years of the 18th century, a crucial period extending from the Seven Years' War to the consolidation of American independence, whose declaration was signed on July 4, 1776. The exhibition begins its journey in Málaga before traveling to other Spanish cities.
“"Although his nephew, Bernardo, became the most famous of the family, it cannot be denied that the most important, politically speaking, was José de Gálvez."
The exhibition emphasizes that Spain was not a secondary actor in this conflict, providing economic resources, uniforms, gunpowder, campaign material, thousands of rifles and cannons, and a contingent of approximately 11,000 men to open fronts against the British. This military and logistical strategy significantly contributed to weakening London in various scenarios.
In addition to male figures, the exhibition rescues the role of women, indigenous people, and freed blacks, often overlooked in historical narratives. It highlights how women were builders of territory, while indigenous people, such as the Pimas and Ópatas tribes, proved decisive in the fight against Apaches and Comanches. Religion, through the work of the Franciscans and figures like Junípero Serra, is also presented as a political and social tool that fostered the construction of a mestizo culture on the North American Pacific coast.
The exhibition is conceived as a living museum, offering visitors an immersive experience with elements such as a portrait of Bernardo de Gálvez, period clothing, horse saddles, facsimiles of historical documents, weapon replicas, and a native war bonnet. 18th-century soldiers guide the public, enriching the visit and correcting a simplified narrative that has sometimes omitted Spain's transcendental contribution to the birth of the United States.
