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Spanish Galleon

Type Object Region Spain Time 1545–1600

The galleon (galeón) was the Spanish Empire's main dual-purpose merchant and war sailing ship on Atlantic and Pacific routes in the 16th century;…

Timeline

  1. 1543–1550Seville and Sanlúcar de Barrameda · AndalusiaIn the 1540s Spain designated the galleon as the empire's principal ocean-going ship type, strengthening cargo hold and gun-deck layouts to meet both American silver transport and Caribbean coastal defense needs.
  2. 1545–1550Atlantic-Caribbean route · Caribbean SeaGalleon fleets carried silver and goods on the Havana-Seville route, becoming the core maritime instrument of Spanish imperial finance and military projection.

Sources