Manuel Antonio Flores
| Manuel Antonio Flores Maldonado | |
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| Viceroy of New Spain | |
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In office August 17, 1787 – October 16, 1789 |
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| Preceded by | Alonso Núñez de Haro y Peralta |
| Succeeded by | Juan Vicente de Güemes, 2nd Count of Revillagigedo |
| Viceroy of New Granada | |
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In office 1776 – November 23, 1781 |
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| Preceded by | Manuel de Guirior |
| Succeeded by | Juan de Torrezar Díaz Pimienta |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Manuel Antonio Flores Maldonado Martínez Ángulo y Bodquín c. 1722 Seville, Spain |
| Died | March 20, 1799 (aged 76–77) Madrid, Spain |
Manuel Antonio Flores Maldonado Martínez Ángulo y Bodquín (in full, Manuel Antonio Flores Maldonado) (ca. 1722 in Seville, Spain – March 20, 1799 in Madrid) was a general in the Spanish navy and viceroy of New Granada (1776 – November 26, 1781) and New Spain (August 17, 1787 to October 16, 1789).
Flores entered the royal navy of Spain, where he commanded various ships of war fighting pirates, in both the Mediterranean and in Spanish possessions in America. He distinguished himself for his valor as well as his knowledge, and was made a knight of the military Order of Calatrava. He became commandant of the Naval Department at el Ferrol, a major naval base, shipbuilding center and arsenal in northwestern Spain. He served in that position for four years (1771–75).
Flores was named viceroy of New Granada, and sailed to take up the position on December 3, 1775. He served in this capacity for 11 years and 5 months. He was well liked in New Grenada. He resigned in 1787, citing ill health. However, his resignation was apparently motivated by dissatisfacton of José de Gálvez, Minister of the Indies, and Archbishop Antonio Caballero y Góngora of Bogotá.
In 1787 he was named viceroy of New Spain and president of the Audiencia of Mexico. He arrived in Veracruz on July 18, 1787 and took possession of his new offices in Mexico City on August 17.
In office, he raised three new battalions of volunteers, those of Mexico, Nueva España, and Puebla. He refused to share his authority with Francisco Mangino, who had been named superintendent of New Spain (1787). He sent 50,000 pesos annually to New York, on orders of the Crown, for businesses there.
He intervened in a dispute between missionaries and the military governor of California. He arranged that the sons of the largest landowners of the colony be given high positions in the colonial army. In 1788 he arranged with the Spanish government to bring in 11 German miners from Dresden to teach Mexican miners recent technical advances in metallurgy.
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Wikipedia