page_title: Arturo O'Neill
section_title: Governor of West Florida
hierarchical_section_title: Arturo O'Neill / Biography / Governor of West Florida
caption_attribution_description: English: A portion of: A Map of the East and West Florida, Georgia, Louisiana.
context_page_description: Arturo O'Neill de Tyrone y O'Kelly was an Irish-born Spanish colonel who served the Spanish crown as governor of several places in New Spain. He came from a lineage that occupied prominent European positions and titles, since at least the 12th century.
context_section_description: At the battle's conclusion on May 9, 1781, he was appointed governor of Spanish West Florida in the service of New Spain, proving to be an effective diplomat and an able administrator.  Later he became a member of the Supreme War Council and a lieutenant general of allies against Napoleon, replacing Governor Miguel de Uztaraiz on the council.
  In late May or early June 1784, O'Neill participated in the Creek Conference, during which Spain and the Creeks signed a treaty of friendship. In addition, Creeks, Chickasaws, and Cherokees sought help from O'Neill to defend against American encroachment or invasion, so the military commandant and governor sent reinforcements to the areas of these peoples. In 1786, McGillivray informed O'Neill that the Americans were trying to make friends with the Creeks. So, fearing that the alliance could be detrimental to West Florida, Spanish officials negotiated another treaty with Native Americans in Mobile. (At that time, West Florida extended all the way to the Mississippi River, exclusive of New Orleans.)
  In late 1787, O'Neill, based on the fact that he had ruled Florida for six years (when five was customary), asked the Spanish crown if he might ascend to the title of brigadier and be appointed the Governor of Puerto Rico or to a similar position. He did not receive the requested transfer.
  O'Neill's health began to fail in 1788, and he requested a temporary leave of absence in order to recover. The crown accepted and replaced O'Neill as governor for the interim by Francisco Cruzat, former lieutenant governor of St. Louis. In addition, O'Neill was promoted to brigadier general in 1789.
  When O'Neill returned to Pensacola the following year, he organized the Third Battalion of the Regiment of Louisiana Infantry to strengthen its military position. On March 10, 1792, O'Neill became Marqués del Norte (Marquis of North).
  In order to defend Florida and help the guard there, he recommended creating at least six Amerindian companies formed by 100 soldiers each. Along with Amerindians, the mestizos also belonged to those companies. O'Neill wanted to increase the number of mestizos, proposing marriage between the Spanish and the Native Americans, because he considered that mestizo people kept a more friendly relationship with whites. To do this, he planned to send a missionary to the Native American villages and encourage miscegenation between the Christian Amerindians and the Spanish. In addition, he considered mestizos an important group in terms of the military and the economy.
  He left the office of Governor of West Florida in November 1792,  and was succeeded by Carlos Howard.
caption: Map of West Florida and Louisiana, published in 1781, year in which O'Neill began his government in West Florida
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