The Manila Galleons, the 250-Year Trade Route That First Tied the World Together
From 1565 to 1815, one or two Spanish galleons a year crossed the Pacific between Manila and Acapulco, swapping American silver for Chinese silk and porcelain — the first sustained trade link binding Asia, the Americas, and Europe into one economy. The eastward crossing took four to six months and killed crews by the score; some thirty galleons were lost.
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