British occupation of Manila

British occupation of Manila
1762–1764
Flag of British occupation of Manila
"The Attack of Manilla, October 1762", depicting the British capture of Manila
"The Attack of Manilla, October 1762", depicting the British capture of Manila
StatusOccupation of Manila by the
Kingdom of Great Britain
CapitalManila,
Bacolor, Pampanga (Spanish Philippine colonial government retains control outside of Manila and Cavite)
Common languagesSpanish and Tagalog
Religion
Roman Catholicism
Monarch 
• 1760–1820
George III
Governor-General 
• 1762–1764
Dawsonne Drake
Historical eraSpanish colonial rule
6 October 1762
31 May 1764
CurrencySpanish dollar
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Spanish East Indies
Spanish East Indies

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.

The British wanted to use Manila as an entrepôt for trade in the region, particularly with China.[1] In addition, the Spanish governor agreed to deliver a ransom to the British in exchange for the city being spared from any further sacking.[2] 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.[3]: 57 

  1. ^ Danley & Speelman pp. 463-464.
  2. ^ Draper 2006, p. 101.
  3. ^ Tracy, Nicholas (1995). Manila Ransomed. University of Exeter Press. ISBN 0-8598-9426-6.