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Manila Galleon
The Manila galleons were Spanish galleon merchant ships plying the Pacific, carrying American silver to the Philippines from 1565 to exchange for Chi…
Timeline
- 1565–1575Manila Bay · PhilippinesAndrés de Urdaneta led a fleet to Cebu and then based himself in Manila, establishing the galleon-based trans-Pacific sailing trade, with Manila as the route's eastern hub.
- c. 1581–1590Pacific route (Manila-Acapulco) · Transoceanic routeIn the 1580s one galleon made the round trip each year; American silver poured into Manila and was exchanged through Chinese merchant networks for Chinese goods, bringing the Pacific galleon trade to an institutionalized peak.
- 1600–1699Acapulco · New SpainThe Spanish crown tightened controls on the number of ships and cargo tonnage, galleons grew larger still, and Manila Chinese merchants and Mexican traders formed a stable transoceanic goods-exchange network.
Sources
- Manila Galleon https://www.britannica.com/topic/Manila-galleon
- The Manila Galleon and the Pacific Trade — William L. Schurz (1939)