The History of the Philippines: Empires, Colonization, and Identity — Fexingo History

The 1762 British Occupation of Manila

8 min · 15. juli 2026
episode The 1762 British Occupation of Manila cover

Description

In 1762, during the Seven Years' War, British forces captured Manila from the Spanish, ruling the city for 20 months. This episode explores the British occupation's impact on the Philippines: how it disrupted the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade, exposed Spanish military weaknesses, and inadvertently fueled Filipino resistance. We follow the British fleet under General William Draper and Admiral Samuel Cornish, the Spanish defense led by Archbishop Manuel Rojo del Río, and the pivotal role of the Filipino principales and sangleys. The occupation also saw the rise of the Silang Revolt in Ilocos, led by Diego and Gabriela Silang, who exploited Spanish distraction. We discuss how British promises of independence to Filipino rebels sowed early seeds of nationalism, and how the occupation's end in 1764, via the Treaty of Paris 1763, returned control to Spain but left a legacy of diminished prestige and increased local agency. Keywords: British occupation Manila 1762, Seven Years War Philippines, Silang Revolt, Diego Silang, Gabriela Silang, Treaty of Paris 1763, Manila galleon, Archbishop Rojo, Draper Cornish, Filipino nationalism. #BritishOccupationManila #SevenYearsWar #DiegoSilang #GabrielaSilang #SilangRevolt #ManilaGalleon #TreatyOfParis1763 #ArchbishopRojo #WilliamDraper #SamuelCornish #PhilippineHistory #SpanishColonial #18thCentury #ColonialWarfare #FilipinoNationalism #Sangley #Ilocos #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

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