Fleet History

Spain rose to the status of the most powerful nation in Europe after the voyage of Columbus in 1492. The New World provided the wealth necessary to attain and maintain this position for over a century. During this time, Spain established global trade routes with ports from Manila to Peru, and all over the West Indies. Such power did not come without a price; however, as the Spanish treasure fleets became the favorite targets of unfriendly nations and the privateers they spawned. Spain's hold over the West Indies became a bone of contention with other European nations, and the wars that ensued created a huge financial demand that depended on the flow of gold and silver coming from the New World. Armed galleons were sent to accompany every treasure fleet, but Spain could not hope to maintain control over this area for long. The financial demands were too much, and the loss of numerous fleets to storms and battles eventually took its toll. The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 brought an end to the latest battle, the War of Spanish Succession, and to Spain's exclusive hold over the West Indies.

A pattern of trade, controlled strictly by the Spanish crown, had evolved based on the economic policies of the day. Spain's policy was to establish a monopoly, keeping her colonies dependent upon her - typical of colonial powers. This monopoly was eventually challenged successfully by English and Dutch traders, but by law Spanish colonials could trade only with the authorized Spanish merchant flotas. As early as the 16th century, a law was passed by the Casa de Contratacion, or "House of Trade," which called for the periodic sailing of fleets from Spain to the Caribbean twice a year (though they hardly ever sailed on schedule).

The fleets carried manufactured goods for sale to the citizens of the New World, and were then filled with the rich treasures of the Americas for transport back to Spain. The Spanish made elaborate plans to minimize losses from their treasure fleets by carefully planning their routes to take advantage of favorable winds and currents and by scheduling departures to avoid seasonal storms. Two great convoys were organized to transport the treasure. The Tierra Firme fleet would visit Cartagena and Nombre de Di's. The Nueva Espa'a fleet would go to Vera Cruz. These fleets would depart Spain, every year, loaded with supplies needed by the colonies. These trips were scheduled to take the maximum advantage of winds, currents, and avoid the hurricanes season. Each fleet traveled separately, just in case they lost one fleet to pirates or storms, they would not lose everything.

The typical fleet consisted of several types of ships. Heavily armed galleons served as protection for the bulk of the fleet, merchant naos. (The only difference between the nao and galleon was the amount of armament carried.) Several pataches, small reconnaissance vessels, also accompanied the fleet, as well as resfuerzos or supply ships. The fleet was led by the Capitana, or flagship, and the Almiranta, or vice-flagship.

The America bound fleets, first sailed to the Canary Islands to take on supplies. From there, they sailed west, using the trade winds. Each fleet left at a different time, to keep them spaced apart from one another. When the officials at Mexico City learned that the fleet was arriving in Vera Cruz they would transport all of the silver by wagons to Vera Cruz. When the fleet arrived, there would be a large fair, where the Spanish merchants that were part of the fleet, would trade their goods for silver. These fairs generally lasted from one to two months. After the fair was over, all of the silver was loaded onto the ships for the return trip to Spain.

The other fleet that was bound to Tierra Firme, left Spain in the late summer. They sailed from Sevilla to Cartagena. This trip took from 4 to 6 weeks and were assigned to pick up the gold and silver from the southern colonies. When the fleet arrived in Cartagena, word was sent to Panama City, advising officials to start sending the treasure, riverboats and over the Kings Highway to Nombre de Di's. The silver from Peru, was sent to Panama City, on the South Sea Fleet. This fleet was smaller and not as heavily armed as the Atlantic Fleet. This was because the Spanish believed that it was much more difficult for pirates to transverse the Straits of Magellan, and prey on the South Sea Fleet. It would take about two months, to move the silver from the ports of Arica (Chile) and Callao (Peru) to Panama, for storage.

Nombre de Di's like Vera Cruz, was very unhealthy forcing the inhabitants to abandon the cities, and would only come to life when the Treasure Fleets came to port. Once the Fleet arrived, there was great fair, just like in Vera Cruz, for the merchants to exchange silver and gold for merchandise from Europe. In these ports, the ships traded manufactured goods for the wealth of the Indies, such items as gold, silver, emeralds and other gemstones, hides, exotic woods, copper, tobacco, sugar, cochineal, indigo, and other valuables. In additions to these goods, another Spanish fleet, called the Manila Galleons, crossed the Pacific and sent treasures from the Orient to Acapulco and then to the Caribbean flotas. These commodities included such materials as ginger, cowrie shells, porcelains, silks, velvets, damasks, drugs, pearls, and ivory.

After a month or so of bartering at the trade fairs, the fleets were loaded for the return voyage. The two flotas rendezvoused at Havana for the voyage home to Spain. In Havana, the Spanish had a large shipyard, for repairing ships in need of repair, and prepared for the longest part of the journey back to Europe. From Havana, the fleet sailed north using the Gulf Stream, along the coast of Florida, all the way to Cape Hatteras, where they turned east, and sailed to Spain. The Florida coast was one of the most dangerous parts of the trip, because of the large number of reefs, shoals and hurricanes, along the coast. The ships would pass dangerously close to Bermuda, so that they would get their positions, before the trip across the Atlantic.

Once the fleet reached the open water of the Atlantic, it was on its own and lacked the protection of the protective squadrons the Spanish planned to establish in the Caribbean and Spanish home waters. Once close to Europe, it was easier for Spain's enemies to attack the Treasure Fleet. In response to this threat, Spanish authorities would send the Armada of the Ocean Sea, to escort them to Spain.

The great flota system reached its height between 1590 and 1600. Then, over the next century, the system began to slowly decline. Spain's leadership weakened and her debts increased, colonial mines produced less precious metals, privateer attacks increased, and other European powers began to colonize the Caribbean and break the Spanish trading monopoly. At the end of the 16th century, the average number of ships in the flota was 100; this was to degrade to 55 by 1610 and to 25 by 1640. At home, Spain suffered general economic and industrial decline and began to lose its shipbuilding industry, as attested to by the fact that by 1650 more than two thirds of the flota ships were of foreign construction. The Spanish navy was so weak by the end of the 17th century that often foreign warships (usually belonging to the nation that Spain owed the most money to) escorted the flota home. The loss of the 1715 and 1733 treasure flotas were a tremendous blow to Spain in the early 18th century. The last flota to make the transatlantic run sailed in 1778, and Spain officially declared free trade among its colonies.