The British occupation of Manila during the Seven Years’ War

A scarce map of the Philippines during the Seven Years' War, published in Raspe's 'Schau Platz des gegenwaertigen Kriegs' (Plates illustrating the Current Wars). During the Seven Years' War between Britain and France, Spain felt that British successes were a threat to them and joined the French. It had been the policy of Britain to attack France through their colonies, so a plan was hached to capture the Philippines. Arriving in Manila Bay on the 24th September 1762, the Royal Navy bombarded the city on the 5th October, and on the 6th the force of British regulars and East East Company soldiers took the city with little resistance. The British began pillaging the city of both valuables and documents, then extorted an agreement for a ransom to stop, although this was never paid. Despite the British claims to have captured the Philippines, lack of resources meant they were contained in Manila, with Spanish resistance, with native support, outnumbering them. This was the situation until the end of the war, concluded by the Treaty of Paris in 1763. However, as the signatories did not know Manila was in the hands of the British, no mention of the Philippines appears in the terms, and so Manila was just handed back, without its valuables, in April 1764. This map is based on the one drawn for the account of Admiral Anson's capture of the Manila galleon in 1743; almost twenty years later Anson, as First Lord of the Admiralty, was the architect of this plan to seize Manila.