Great warriors deliver after death to win the battle. And at least in the memory and memory of Luís de Unzaga y Amazga (Málaga, April 6, 1717–Málaga, June 21, 1793) he plans to recover the legendary splendor that he seeks to recover in his life. is planning to, although he would have to wait 230 years. Trace moment. Not only in Malacca which had it, but in the United States and in a turbulent time, it was the seed of what is now considered a great world power.
In that process, which arose after the War of Independence of the 13 Americans, the soldier from Málaga played a major role, so much so that he is considered neither more nor less, the father of the name by which the confederation is known. Present United States of America: United States (or American). However, nothing less has been discovered than a few years ago.
Since then, the task of saving the memory of Luis de Unzaga has been contested from many sides. Finally, we went to the publication of a commemorative note from the Personage series, which depicts the image of the soldier with his name and date of birth and death. The note’s entry into circulation was announced at the BOE on 9 February, and the series was released two weeks later on 21 February.
124,000 Note 2.10 List
From now on, Unzaga’s face and legacy will be present in half the postal world, as it did in his life. Specifically, Koryos issued a series of 124,000 notes of 2.10 coins, each “on gummed, coated and phosphorescent paper” and 40.9 × 57.6 mm in size, as stated in the founding document.
But this initiative has its own “stamp”, and it cannot be called better. It specifically mentions the names of the professors and doctors, Frank Cazorla and Rosa García Baena, who were actually responsible for recovering Luis de Unzaga’s memory and for discovering that he was a soldier from Málaga. who put his name on the United States of America. He published his biography in ‘El Gobernador Luis de Unzaga’. Pioneers in America and the Birth of Liberalism’, a volume published by the Málaga Foundation and presented in November 2019 with a surprising discovery in the Hall of Mirrors of the City Hall.
In intensive archival work, Professors Cazorla and García Baena, along with Professor José David Polo Rubio, found a letter dated 1776 in which President George Washington addressed his right-hand man, Joseph Reed, to explain the details. A flattering letter he had recently received from Unzaga himself: “He gave me the title of ‘General of the United States,’ a tolerable degree to declare a positive fellow.” The formula so pleased the president that, from that point on, the name “13 States” or “13 United States”, as it became known in the Declaration of Independence – the United States, or America) was carried over from the work and Unzaga’s. Courtesy.
Detail of Luis de Unzaga’s signature on a letter to President George Washington. Sent
But Unzaga’s name went far beyond that baptism of the mightiest power in the West. A soldier with the army for about 13 years, he worked his way up the ladder until being promoted to Commander and later to Commander of the Province of Louisiana, where he developed an illustrious career. Among other feats, he was the forerunner of the CIA (Under America’s Understanding), the promoter of free trade across the Mississippi River, and the establishment of the dollar as the official currency of the United States.
Known for his diplomatic skills—he became known as “The Conciliator—, brother of Unzaga, father-in-law of another great time soldier, Bernardo de Gálvez (wealthy sisters of La Roche Saint-Maxent).
Description of the Alameda in the 19th century. In the foreground, the historic fountain of Genoa, which Luis de Unzaga ordered to be placed in front of his house number 12. Uma Collection
But the mark of Luis de Unzaga has already been retired in Malaga once he returns from the United States. At the age of 70 and with an extensive diplomatic and military career behind him, he still had the energy and determination to promote Almeida’s work in the city and the legendary Streets on Both Sides would become the first. Great city street. There, number 12, he moved in with his wife until he died on June 21, 1793.
In fact, in front of that house, the Council of Culture of the city of Málaga, in April last year, put up a commemorative plaque in memory of Luis de Unzaga, part of the lasting impression of professors Cazorla and García Baena, because the military history of Málaga was marked by that moment. Occupies the place it deserves. Although more than two centuries have passed. Even now, the public seal, except for letters and files, deserves the best collection.
