14 September, 1815

TODAY IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY:

The galleon trade between the Philippines and Mexico ended a few years before Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. The Spanish Crown took direct control of the country, and was governed directly from Madrid. The opening of the Suez Canal and the invention of steam ships, which reduced the travel time from Spain to the Philippines to 40 days, made this more manageable.

Galleon trade became the fundamental income-generating business for Spanish colonists living in the Philippine Islands with a total of 110 Manila galleons set sail in the 250 years of the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade (1565 to 1815). The Manila-Acapulco galleon trade began when Andres de Urdaneta in convoy under Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, discovered a return route from Cebu City to Mexico in 1565.

(Ref: Philippine News Agency; Photo courtesy of Simeon Abaya, 1970 via Filipinas Heritage Library)