The article has been created within the framework of the blog coraboración Bartomeus , with the special aim at the creation of a map showing the route taken by the Indias fleet and some relevant facts.
Indies fleets were the operating mechanism of the English trade monopoly in America and was all the commerce and navigation between Spain and America. Were set up in 1561 and survived until 1778, when it was finally removed.
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two fleets were differentiated. The one that went to Mexico, whose final destination was the port of Veracruz, was to sail from Spain in April and was called the Fleet of New Spain. Aimed at the mainland, whose terminal was Nombre de Dios, then replaced by Portobelo-had to leave in August and was named galleon fleet. Sometimes they sailed together the fleet and the Galleons, but each of them holding his personality and leadership.
When the fleet left the mainland coast and began its course through the so-called Mar de las Mares, who was part of the ocean between San Lucar and Canary Islands. Was covered in about ten or twelve days, depending on sea conditions. At the head was the Captain, with the largest banner hoisted. Then the merchant. Closing the training, the Admiral, flagship hoisted at the stern. The remaining warships were to windward of the merchants to get closer to them quickly in case of attack.
From Canary fleet was entering the so-called Mar de las Damas, because it was said that even women could rule there the ships, given the ideal conditions for sailing. This was possible by the northern hemisphere trade winds blowing fairly constant in summer and less in winter. Run from the 30-35 º to the tropics, from northeast to southwest, due to rotation of the earth and constantly push the ships from the Canary Islands into the tropical regions of the new continent. The trade winds are warm, steady, blow dry, about 20 kms an hour. Coming to the Tropic of Cancer from August shipments ran the risk of encountering tropical hurricanes, mass of clouds that formed at the height of Cape Verde were en route to the West Indies downloading devastating storms.
The trip by the Atlantic became more monotonous then, accompanied by endless creak of rigging and the creaking of the cables. Sometimes they were ordered to battle stations have trained the army and navy against a possible enemy attack, and this was perhaps the only thing that broke the tedium. The only entertainment on board were religious services to which everyone had to go. Passengers could not play or blaspheme. There was the food twice daily. The pages served to the passengers. At first it was bad then consisted of meat, vegetables and fruits, but it ended soon and vegetables began to end in the eternal diet of beef, honey, cheese and olives. The crew ate almost exclusively jerky. The Ladies Sea was crossed in a month, after which is usually reached the island of Dominica, where he was a small scale. It came down to earth and made great feasts. Who went to America for the first time in wonder to the people, landscape, etc.. The landfall was brief, he had to continue to Veracruz or Name of God, and this represented another travel month.
fleet of New Spain from Dominica barreled toward Veracruz. Along the way they were going to evolve in the same vessels bound for Honduras, Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo and Cuba. The fleet of galleons in turn put towards Cartagena, leaving some merchant voyage bound for Margarita, La Guaira, Maracaibo and Riohacha. In Cartagena it was a long scale of two weeks, it was necessary to unload the goods destined for the New Kingdom of Granada, which usually accounted for 25% of all that was going mainland. Then he went to Nombre de Dios, which was the actual terminal.
After the negotiation, the merchant both fleets, the New Spain and the mainland, had to go to Havana, where they were waiting to escort warships. From there he undertook the journey back to Spain.
From Havana dangerous way to the Bahama Channel. After the channel and with the help of northern temperate winds, the currents of the Gulf and Atlantic anticyclone moved north to reach the height of the Azores at 39 ° north where the pirates danger increased. Sometimes warships were sent reinforcements to the islands, to await the arrival of the fleet. From the Azores on their way to Portugal. It was a rare landfall in the Algarve to download smuggling. Finally reached the English southwest and finally to San Lucar, where the galleons began to climb with difficulty to reach the port Guadalquivir river in Seville. The increase in tonnage of ships was making Sevilla in a failed port to the Indian trade, as it prevented the rise of the bar of the Guadalquivir. In 1680 it was decided that the galleons departure and arrival at Cadiz, the port had better conditions for this negotiation Atlantic.
The threat of rival colonial powers increased when they were able to establish bases in the Caribbean. Britain was St. Kitts and Nevis in 1624, Curacao and the Netherlands in 1634. The fleet of 1628 was captured by the Dutchman Piet Hein in the Battle of the Bay of Matanzas, and in 1656 and 1657 were captured by the English Richard Stayner and Robert Blake during the Anglo-English war. Of 1702 was destroyed during the Battle of Rande.
Despite the general perception that many English ships were captured by pirates and privateers, the fact is that more than 250 years of service attacks losses were minimal and can be described well the Indian fleet as a most successful naval operations in history.
The last Indian fleet sailed in 1776. In the 1780, Spain opened the colonies to the free market.
Links:
Histamar : Detailed information on the fleet of the Indies.
Historical Documents: List of what happened to His Majesty's Navy with England on Crow Island to pick up the fleet of the Indian
Sources: Wikipedia , www.almendron.com
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