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1779 |
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| South America & Caribbean:French forces seize Grenada and St. Vincent, which had been lost to the British in 1763. Merchants in British West Indies, including Robert Walpole, are sympathetic to the American cause, smuggle arms through Dutch St. Eustatius. | ||||||||||||
| North America: Spain is giving funds and armaments to the American cause, but ask the British to recognize independence. British take Augusta Georgia, lose Vincennes to the Americans again. Britain asks Spain to cease its support, offering to return Gibralter and Florida, but Spain declares war. Galvez begins reconquering Florida for Spain. American seige of Savannah, aided by French fleet, fails. British leave Rhode Island. Virginia moves its capital from Williamsburg to Richmond. Painting of Washinton by Charles Willson Peale | ||||||||||||
| Europe: John Paul Jones attacks the British navy in their waters. Captain Cook killed in Hawaii. Muslin wheel further advances textile industry. Dutchman describes principles of photosynthesis. Poetry by French militiaman Philip Freneau; painting by Gainsborough; theatre by Goethe, Sheridan; opera by Gluck; music by Mozart. Horse racing popular at Epsom Downs. | ||||||||||||
January 1779
Spanish Officials: Alcaldes Ordinarios Primer -Pedro Piernas Segundo - Pedro Deverges. Sindico Procurador General Manuel Andres de Armesto Mayordomo de Proprios Luis Boisdore. |
February 1779
February 13, 1778; the Cabildo appoints the Alferez Real Francisco Maria de Reggio and Depositario General Joseph Ducros to prepare regulations for the conduct of blacks. These planters were charged with restoring to slaveholders the dominion that earlier Spanish laws had removed from them. The proposed regulations based on the 1724 Code Noir are presented to the Cabildo in October 16, 1778 severely diminish the rights of both free blacks and slaves. Planters are asked to comment on the proposal on February 26, 1779 The resulting regulations were approved, but governor Galvez never sent them to the king for approval for his own reasons. The Cabildo never acts to revive the proposed regulations. |
March 1779
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April 1779
April 9, 1779; Gov. Galvez declares that slave funds will be used to indemnify owners for runaway slaves that are killed during apprehension. |
May 1779
May 14, 1779 The post of Alcalde Mayor Provincial is purchased by Santiago Beauregard from Carlos Honorato Olivier. Beauregard dies in November 1779 and the post lies vacant until May 1783 when it passes to Luis Toutant Beauregard. May 21 Proposal for the a market structure in the square where the first barracks existed. The market is never built there. |
June 1779
June 17 A hurricane forces major repairs to almost all structures in New Orleans. June 21 Spain declares war on Great Britain and allows hostilities against British outposts in Western Florida. Governor Galvez responds by gathering supplies, food and men. The war between Spain and England will last from 1779 to 1783 and will disrupt Louisiana’s growing commerce. |
July 1779
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August 1779
August 18, 1779 The first severe hurricane of the Spanish era damages most of the buildings in New Orleans and sinks ships in the river. Lake Pontchartrain and Bayou St. John pour over into the city and add to the damage. August 20, 1779 Galvez becomes the proprietary governor of Louisiana. From 1780 to early 1872 he will be frequently absent and Lt. Colonel Pedro Piernas and Martin Navarro will exercise the offices of acting military and civil governors respectively. August 27, 1779; After being delayed by last week’s storm, Galvez heads up river with the British post at Manchac as his first goal. By late August 1779 the American Revolution is creating a labor shortage in Louisiana. |
September 1779
September 7 The forces at Fort Bute have been withdrawn to Baton Rouge, so the Manchac is taken easily. September 21 Spanish troops under St. Maxent and Galvez take the British fort at Baton Rouge. Fort New Richmond is a new fort with earthen walls encircled by a palasade and a ditch nine feet deep and 18 feet wide. It garrisons 400 English regulars, 150 settlers and blacks, 13 cannons. Fort Panmure at Natchez is the last to fall. The campaign is significant to the Spanish. It ends the British foothold in the lower Mississippi valley, keeps the river open for American commerce and allows a Spanish supply line to Americans through the Ohio Valley. |
October 1779
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November 1779
November 1779; Governor Galvez appoints Nicolas Forstall commandant at New Iberia. Forestall is a regidore, an office that he purchased for 800 pesos at a public auction on the death of Antonio Bienvenu. Forstall will be absent from his council post for long lengths of time, but will hold the post longer than any other man. |
December 1779
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| John McDonogh (1779-1850) is born in Baltimore, a city he remembers in his will. He is apprenticed to a merchant and sent to New Orleans in 1800 where he makes his fortune. | The 1779 smallpox epidemic is one of the
worst of the Spanish era. The disease first struck the Indians in 1777
and was passed to the settlers in Natchitoches
in 1778 before it spread to New Orleans. Governor Galvez
orders anyone showing symptons of the disease to be isolated in a detention
facility on the west bank for at least 15 days and then until they were
free from the disease. The patients received no attention and the facility
had no regular staff. The disease does not return to Louisiana for almost
another decade.
For the first time the Cabildo turns its attention to filth in the streets. The sindico procurador general presents a report of hogs running loose in the streets rooting through debris for food. Efforts to keep the city clean met with limited success and will gain the council’s attention again in six years. |
Early this year Governor Bernardo de Galvez sends Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Bouligny with nearly five hundred Spanish and Canary Island colonists to establish a settlement on the lower Bayou Teche in the Attakapas Country. These Spanish colonists named their settlement New Iberia, for their own Iberian Peninsula. | In 1779 Santiago Curasol and Luis Dunoyer receive licenses as a physicians for Louisiana without professional exams. In 1779 merchants cause a flour shortage by over-exporting. The situation is worsened by the arrival of new army troops and new immigrants from the Canary Islands, Malaga and Granada. In late 1779 New Orleans faces a meat shortage because of Spain’s participation in the American Revolutionary war. Governor Galvez calls a cabildo abierto which is attended by many prominant citizens. The German and Acadian coasts upriver were chosen to supply the beef and since a middleman was eliminated in this process it was decided that any profits would be set aside to benefit Galvez’ soldiers. |
Poblaciòn de Barataria (Barataria Settlement). To guard New Orleans, Spain in 1779 settled 56 families from the Canary Islands on lands starting at Crown Point in Jefferson Parish. Flooding by the Mississippi River forced most of the settlers to relocate in 1782. Efforts to resettle failed and finally ceased in 1802, but scattered descendants have preserved the Isleno culture to the present day in nearby St. Bernard Parish. In 1779 Dr. Juan Vives, from Spain, is hired by the governor to examine Canary Islanders who settled on Bayou Lafourche. Andres Jung who reinforced the levee system three years ago gets the contract to settle the Islenos. Early this year Governor Bernardo de Galvez sends Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Bouligny with nearly five hundred Spanish and Canary Island colonists to establish a settlement on the lower Bayou Teche in the Attakapas Country. These Spanish colonists named their settlement New Iberia, for their own Iberian Peninsula. From 1779 to 1781 Don Esteban de Vaugine is Commandant at Natchitoches. |
Fortifications around New Orleans, including Spanish Fort, which guards Bayou St. John, are rebuilt by Galvez to protect the city from attack. In 1779 the Cabildo divides New Orleans into two wards and elects two alcaldes de barrios (ward commissioner or Justice of the peace) from each ward to preserve order. (Francisco Braquier, Juan Bautista Cavelier, Juan la Costa and Jose Antonio Astier). Among other duties they are involved in fire fighting and may collect small fees from their small claims court. In 1779 The Cabildo awards a contract to Francisco Simon de Bellislle to build a wooden structure sixty feet long by twenty-two feet wide, somewhere on the levee, to serve as a public market. In the French era no effort was made to consolidate vendors, but Spanish officials find inspections difficult and correct the problem by building a structure mainly for meat and staples. The structure protects the foods and makes inspections easier. Previously an informal marketplace was located on the riverside of the Place d Armes. Also in 1779 the Cabildo authorizes a ditch to be dug along the base of the levee fronting the city to help drain water that seeps under the barrier. Henry S. Johnson Joseph, Marquis de Maison Rouge John McDonogh |
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