Mateo González Manrique

Mateo González Manrique (1745 – c. 1815) was a Spanish Army officer and colonial administrator who served as the governor of West Florida from 1813 to 1815. During his tenure as governor, Spanish Florida was caught in the War of 1812 between the United States and Britain. Manrique attempted to remain neutral in the conflict despite the small garrison at his disposal. In an attempt to counterbalance US expansion, he invited British forces to garrison Pensacola in the hopes that this would dissuade an American attack. In 1814, American forces under Andrew Jackson attacked Pensacola, with the British forces in the city blowing up a fort before withdrawing. Following the battle, Jackson returned control of Pensacola to the Spanish. Manrique was succeeded as governor by José de Soto in 1815, and possibly died in the same year.