Manila galleons
transpacific trade route · 1565 AD–1814 AD
Spanish galleons sailing once or twice a year between Manila and Acapulco, carrying American silver west and Chinese silk and porcelain east. Eastbound ships ran north to the westerlies and reached America off California; westbound ships ran with the trade winds by way of Guam.
View Manila galleons on the map →
At a glance
- Goods
- silver, silk, porcelain, spices
- Carried by
- sea
- Hubs
- Manila → Guam → Acapulco
Recorded boundaries
| Period | Control | Confidence | Evidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1565 AD–1570 AD | — | medium confidence | no observation date recorded | Trading through Guam and Acapulco. |
| 1571 AD–1814 AD | — | medium confidence | no observation date recorded | Trading through Manila, Guam and Acapulco. |
Each row is a snapshot the source recorded, not a continuous history. The period between two observations is an inference this atlas shows rather than hides.
Sources
- William Lytle Schurz, The Manila Galleon, (1939)