Crown, trade, church and indigenous societies: The functioning of the Spanish shipbuilding industry in the Philippines, 1571-1816

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand the political, social, economic and military factors that shaped the evolution of Spanish shipbuilding for the Acapulco-Manila trade route under the Habsburg and Bourbon dynasties (1571-1815). It focuses on the main variables that affected the size of the trans-Pacific galleons, on the objectives of the Spanish crown’s shipbuilding legislation, and on the methods used by Spanish colonial administrators to mobilize human and material resources in the Philippines. It discusses the role of the religious orders in the functioning of this industry, particularly in opposing the negative social consequences of shipbuilding. It also details the administrative reforms that shaped the development of this industry during the eighteenth century, which sought to limit the exploitation of the local workforce by transferring executive powers from local government officials and encomenderos to the friars. Finally, it also discusses the measures implemented by the Bourbon regime to increase its control over the functioning of the shipyards, particularly during the late eighteenth century. Although this article focuses on the construction of the largest ships launched from the Philippine shipyards, its conclusions can be extended to other types of vessels built by the Spanish administration in the archipelago during this period.