Born and died in Spain, José de Gálvez was, from a young age, a man with clear political ambitions.
He was a lawyer for the Spanish embassy in France, secretary of the Marquis Jerónimo Grimaldi in 1761 and, mayor of the house and court when King Carlos III appointed him special visitor of New Spain with the special task of overseeing the administration of Viceroy Joaquín de Montserrat, of whom he distrusted due to the scarce income received.Gálvez arrived in New Spain in 1761 as a robed minister of the Council of the Indies but did not act until 1764, when he received absolute powers and became Visitor General of all the Royal Courts and Cajas and Intendant of all the Armies.
In his new position, he took the viceroy of Montserrat to trial, created the tobacconist, introduced new taxes on pulque and flour, fought smuggling, reformed the customs system of Veracruz and Acapulco, replaced the tax lease system with another, called the heading, and established the general accounting of the municipal estates, all of this in addition to rearranging public positions with subsequent dismissals. Tax revenues ranged from 6 million pesos in 1763 to 12 million in 1773.
In 1765 he reorganized the army and brought the viceroy of Montserrat to trial, who was replaced by Carlos Francisco de Croix who facilitated his work. Two years later, Gálvez intervened to quell the riots and riots that led to the expulsion of the Jesuits and ordered summary trials, executions, and perpetual imprisonment.
With the disappearance of the Society of Jesús Gálvez, he encouraged the Franciscan missions in both Californias by express order of the king. He established a naval base in San Blas and anticipated the expedition of Brother Junípero Serra - who founded the mission of San Diego - and Gaspar de Portolá - who founded the mission of Monterrey and San Carlos, and at the end of 1771 he reached the bay of San Francisco.
José de Galvéz returned to Spain in 1772 as a member of the General Board of Currency and Mines Trade, Governor of the Council of the Indies and Councilor of State. For the services rendered, Carlos III rewarded him by naming him Marquis of Sonora and Universal Minister of the Indies.
Gálvez is owed the organization of the north of New Spain, since as Minister the King constituted the General Command of the Internal Provinces that grouped Nueva Vizcaya, Sinaloa, Sonora, the Californias, Coahuila, New Mexico and Texas, giving Chihuahua the character of capital.
