![]() ![]() The majority of the fleet entered the Gulf of Mexico's relatively safe waters after the wind turned to the south throughout the course of the following day, passing by the Dry Tortugas. Because of the tremendous seas before dawn, almost everyone was below deck, either seasick or in prayer. The Atocha took up its designated position in the back, sitting low due to its hefty cargo. The combined fleet's twenty-eight ships raised their anchors and moved in a straight line northward toward the Florida Keys and the powerful Gulf Stream current. The choice was made to go on a voyage to Spain on Sunday, September 4th, when the weather conditions were nearly ideal. Unfortunately, she was powerless against the powers of nature despite the use of fire. She carried a staggering amount of the fleet's treasure as a result, making her the vessel of choice for wealthy travelers. The Atocha carried a complete company of 82 infantrymen as a military escort to protect the ship against attack and potential hostile boarding. Before the fleet arrived in Havana, the storm season had already begun in late August. The newly created mints at Santa Fe de Bogotá and here in Cartagena provided the Atocha with an additional cargo load of treasure, much of it gold and rare first-year output silver. In order to meet the fleet coming back from Veracruz, the Tierra Firme Fleet finally sailed to Havana via Cartagena on July 22. Recording and loading the Atocha's cargo in preparation for departure would take close to two months. From Panama City, a port on the pacific side of the Isthmus, treasure from Lima and Potosi continued to arrive by mule train. The Atocha and the Tierra Firme Fleet set off from Spain on March 23, 1622, and after making a brief stop at the Caribbean island of Dominica, went on to the Colombian port city of Cartagena, where they arrived in Portobello on May 24. The Nuestra Señora de Atocha, a newly built 110-foot galleon, was chosen to serve as the Tierra Firme Fleet's Almiranta. The other galleon, known as the Almiranta, was supposed to trail after. ![]() The Capitana the name of the leading ship. Each fleet had two strongly armed guard galleons to help deter pirate attacks. The expedition was timed for an earlier departure because it was well known that the storm season started in late July. The two biggest challenges that the treasure fleets had to overcome were the weather and pirates. The separate fleets reunited in Havana for the return voyage and took the Gulf Stream north along the Florida coast before turning east when they reached the same latitude as Spain. Here, the ships' cargo of silver and gold was carried onboard after being unloaded. The two fleets would separate once they reached the Caribbean, with the Tierra Firme Fleet sailing on to Portobello in Panama and the Nueva España Fleet continuing on to Veracruz, Mexico. Supply ships arrived at the port with the silver, gold, and agricultural products for the return to Spain.Įarly in the year, the fleets set out from Cadiz, Spain, roughly following the path that Christopher Columbus had travelled earlier. From 1561 to 1748, two fleets each year were dispatched to the New World. There was a well-established framework for trade with the colonies. However, the silver and gold mines on the continent were more significant to the throne because they were essential to Spain's future development. Huge swaths of land were allotted to colonists so they could grow tobacco, coffee, and other goods to ship to the mainland. ![]() The major colonial cities of North America-Boston, Philadelphia, and New York-would not be established for another 50 years or so. Spanish settlement in the New World spread quickly by the late 1500s, Potosi, Lima, and Mexico City had populations greater than those of the largest Spanish cities. ![]()
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