The Manila galleons were Spanish treasure ships which transported precious goods like silk, spices, and porcelain from Manila in the Philippines to Acapulco, Mexico, between 1565 and 1815. The Atlantic treasure fleets then shipped some of these goods – along with silver, gold, and other precious materials extracted from the Americas – on to Spain. The Manila galleons, meanwhile, returned to the Philippines each year loaded with silver to buy more goods for the next trip. Manila galleons going in either direction were a floating Aladdin's cave of treasures and so they tempted many a pirate and privateer but, such was their armament, only four were ever captured at sea.
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Definition
Timeline
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1565 - 1815The Manila galleons each year take eastern trade goods from Manila to Acapulco (and return with American silver).
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Nov 1587The English privateer Thomas Cavendish captures the Manila galleon Great Saint Anna (actually a carrack).
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1 Jan 1710The English privateer Woodes Rogers captures the Manila galleon Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación Disengaño.
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1743The Manila galleon Covadonga is captured by a Brtiish naval fleet near Manila.
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1762A British fleet commanded by Admiral Cornish captures the Spanish Manila galleon Santísima Trinidad.
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1815The last Manila galleon, the San Fernando, arrives in Acapulco.
