The Spanish Convoy of 1750: Heaven's Hammer and International Diplomacy

Foreword

xi Foreword Water is unquestionably the most important natural feature on earth. By volume the world’s oceans compose 99 percent of the planet’s living space; in fact, the surface of the Pacific Ocean alone is larger than that of the total land bodies. Water is as vital to life as air. Indeed, to test whether the moon or other planets can sustain life, NASA looks for signs of water. The story of human development is inextricably linked to the oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers that dominate the earth’s surface. The University Press of Florida’s New Perspectives on Maritime History and Nautical Archaeology series is devoted to exploring the significance of the earth’s water while providing lively and important books that cover the spectrum of maritime history and nautical archaeology broadly defined. The series includes works that focus on the role of canals, rivers, lakes, and oceans in history; on the economic, military, and political use of those waters; and upon the people, communities, and industries that support maritime endeavors . Limited by neither geography nor time, volumes in the series Foreword xii contribute to the overall understanding of maritime history and can be read with profit by both general readers and specialists. James A. Lewis’s account of the Spanish flota’s mid-August 1750 encounter with a powerful Atlantic hurricane, which swept up the east coast of the British North American colonies from Georgia to Delaware, reveals how diplomatic, economic, and legal records can be used to illuminate the personal trials and tribulations experienced during a dramatic storm. Departing quickly for Cádiz during the late summer in the hopes of making it to the northern Atlantic before encountering bad weather, the seven Spanish ships ran into a powerful storm only a few days out of Havana. As they exited the Bahama Channel—at the point where the hurricane would have been its strongest because it was still out to sea and not yet slowed by the resistance of land or the cooling of the waters of the northern Atlantic—the tempest savagely battered the ships, ultimately driving them north into the waters of Britain’s North American colonies. In fact, only daring human perseverance and the stout construction of seaworthy Spanish ships prevented a greater loss of life and property . Once the crew and passengers made it ashore a second story began, because the fleet carried considerable wealth. Pirates soon swarmed to plunder much of the property that made it ashore, while Spanish soldiers, sailors, and officials justified pilfering a portion on the ground that they had suffered to save it during the storm. Afterward , diplomatic wrangling and legal testimony began a prolonged attempt to define the true owners of the remaining salvaged and insured goods. Moreover, since maritime salvagers have recently located the flagship of the expedition—La Galga—along with an- Foreword xiii other nearby Spanish ship that sank during 1802 in Virginia waters, the story continues, yet with a modern international legal challenge addressing the question as to when military hardware is considered abandoned. Ultimately, this story demonstrates how often the annual vagaries of nature—in this instance a destructive 1750 hurricane—are quickly forgotten because of later storms that appear far more destructive and costly in human lives. And with the passing of time, society forgets the loss of life unless the disaster represented truly staggering numbers. Yet in this drama, as Lewis tells us, the truth and reality are based on the narrative within the financial accounts of this episode. In this instance, “following the money” revealed the convoluted historical reality of this dramatic storm and, in the end, highlighted the visible prevalence of women participating in Spain’s Atlantic commerce during the mid-eighteenth century. At its basic level, this story provides a history of a neglected though significant and important event in the history of colonial America. By weaving together local, regional, and imperial records, the author reveals how human perseverance, ship construction, and financial decisions decided the outcome between survival and death, or between success and failure. Lewis’s account of this episode unmasks the massive and lucrative trade that took place between Spain and its New World colonies and the individuals, including women, who managed, owned, and protected a small portion of it. The Span­ ish Flota of 1750: Heaven’s Hammer and International Diplomacy, a powerful narrative of personal survival during a...