Early Modern historians have long been fascinated by the mercantile world of the late medieval and early modern periods. The reason for their fascination can be ascribed to the wealth, cosmopolitism, social capital and political clout that many of these merchants (mostly men) projected onto...

1. Portuguese nation and Spanish empire in the sixteenth century -- 2. Settling upon the seas : a maritime community in movement and formation -- 3. "Cada casa, un mundo" : the domestic foundation of a trading community -- 4. A vast machine : the nation's Atlantic trading networks -- 5....

"This groundbreaking book traces the rich and perilous history of the ships and sailors that launched the global economy. The line of navigation between Asia and the Americas, the Manila galleons first set sail from the Philippines in 1565, remaining the lifeblood of world trade until the last...