Qualla: British Occupation of Manila https://qualla.com/british-occupation-of-manila en-us © 2026 Bendyline Mon, 20 Jul 2026 10:21:37 GMT Qualla serial false Qualla support@bendyline.com yes https://qualla.com/_m/w/d/w/4/british-occupation-of-manila-wp/hero-small.webp Qualla: British Occupation of Manila https://qualla.com/british-occupation-of-manila British Occupation of Manila: Introduction https://qualla.com/british-occupation-of-manila/ Photo credit Francinehihao, CC0. On January 6, 1762, the British Cabinet approved one of the most ambitious long-distance military operations of the 18th century: Colonel William Draper, already stationed at Madras with the 79th Regiment of Foot, would cross the Indian Ocean and seize Manila from Spain. The plan was part of a global conflict that would later be called the Seven Years' War, and Manila was the prize that could secure British commercial dominance in Asia. Eight ships of the line, three frigates, four store ships, and nearly 7,000 men sailed into Manila Bay on September 24, 1762. The city fell in under two weeks. Holding it would prove to be another matter entirely.

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]]> Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/w/d/w/4/british-occupation-of-manila-wp/wdw4-british-occupation-of-manila-intro.mp3 0:06 1 full British Occupation of Manila: The War Reaches the Pacific https://qualla.com/british-occupation-of-manila/ Photo credit Gubernatoria, CC BY 2.5 au. Spain had tried to stay neutral as Britain and France tore into each other across Europe, North America, India, and the Caribbean. But France was losing badly, and as British victories mounted, Madrid grew alarmed at the prospect of a single power dominating global trade. The Fam...

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]]> Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/w/d/w/4/british-occupation-of-manila-wp/wdw4-british-occupation-of-manila-the-war-reaches-the-pacific.mp3 0:06 2 full British Occupation of Manila: Twenty Thousand Cannonballs https://qualla.com/british-occupation-of-manila/ Photo credit Gubernatoria, CC BY 2.5 au. The British bombardment was overwhelming. The fleet expended more than 20,000 cannonballs and 5,000 bombs against Manila's fortifications. The Spanish garrison, caught off guard by an attack from an ocean away, could not withstand the assault. Manila and the nearby port of Cavite...

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]]> Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/w/d/w/4/british-occupation-of-manila-wp/wdw4-british-occupation-of-manila-twenty-thousand-cannonballs.mp3 0:06 3 full British Occupation of Manila: The Siege That Saved the Philippines https://qualla.com/british-occupation-of-manila/ Photo credit Francinehihao, CC0. What the British could not have anticipated was the resistance organized by Lieutenant Governor Simon de Anda y Salazar. When Manila fell, Anda y Salazar established a provisional Spanish colonial government backed by members of the Royal Audience of Manila and rallied mostly Fil...

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]]> Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/w/d/w/4/british-occupation-of-manila-wp/wdw4-british-occupation-of-manila-the-siege-that-saved-the-philippines.mp3 0:06 4 full British Occupation of Manila: Humiliated and Gone https://qualla.com/british-occupation-of-manila/ Photo credit Francinehihao, CC0. The Seven Years' War ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763, which required Britain to return Manila and Cavite to Spain. The British withdrew in the first week of April 1764, having held the city for exactly eighteen months. They left, in the words of one account, humiliated. Th...

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]]> Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT https://qualla.com/_m/w/d/w/4/british-occupation-of-manila-wp/wdw4-british-occupation-of-manila-humiliated-and-gone.mp3 0:06 5 full