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Spanish Galleon
A 16th-century ocean-going sailing ship type dominant in the Spanish Empire, characterized by high freeboard, multiple decks, and heavy armament, car…
Timeline
- 1565Seville · SevilleSpain concentrated on building high-freeboard, multi-decked galleon-type sailing ships in Seville, Cádiz, and elsewhere to meet the needs of transoceanic trade and military escort, with the ship type gradually standardized.
- 1575–1585Atlantic route (Seville–Havana–Veracruz) · CaribbeanThe galleon became the mainstay of the Spanish treasure fleet, sailing between Spain and American ports, transporting silver, spices, and supplies, and equipped with shipboard cannon to deal with pirates and hostile powers.
- 1595–1600Cádiz · CádizBy the turn of the century, Spanish galleons generally increased in tonnage, strengthened broadside gun batteries and crew complements, to cope with the aftermath of the Anglo-Spanish War and the growing threat of Atlantic privateering.
Sources
- Ships and Shipbuilding in the Atlantic World — Lincoln P. Paine (2013)
- The Spanish Galleon, 1539-1690 — Angus Konstam (2004)