British occupation of Manila
The British occupation of Manila was an episode in colonial history of the Philippines when the Kingdom of Great Britain occupied the Spanish colonial capital of Manila and the nearby port of Cavite for eighteen months, from the 6th October 1762 to the first week of April 1764. The occupation was an extension of the larger Seven Years' War between Britain and France, which Spain had recently entered on the side of the French.
British occupation of Manila | |||||||||
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| 1762–1764 | |||||||||
"The Attack of Manilla, October 1762", depicting the British capture of Manila | |||||||||
| Status | Occupation of Manila by the Kingdom of Great Britain | ||||||||
| Capital | Manila, Bacolor, Pampanga (Spanish Philippine colonial government retains control outside of Manila and Cavite) | ||||||||
| Common languages | Spanish and Tagalog | ||||||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||||||
| Monarch | |||||||||
• 1760–1820 | George III | ||||||||
| Governor-General | |||||||||
• 1762–1764 | Dawsonne Drake | ||||||||
| Historical era | Spanish colonial rule | ||||||||
| 6 October 1762 | |||||||||
• Treaty of Paris | 31 May 1764 | ||||||||
| Currency | Spanish dollar | ||||||||
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| History of the Philippines |
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| Timeline |
| Philippines portal |
The British wanted to use Manila as an entrepôt for trade in the region, particularly with China. In addition, the Spanish governor agreed to deliver a ransom to the British in exchange for the city being spared from any further sacking. However, the resistance from the provisional Spanish colonial government, established by members of the Royal Audience of Manila and led by Lieutenant Governor Simón de Anda y Salazar, whose mostly Filipino troops prevented British forces from expanding their control beyond the neighbouring towns of Manila and Cavite, led to the project's abandonment.: 57