The Wreck of the 1715 Treasure Fleet and Spain's Silver Crisis

In July 1715, a Spanish treasure fleet carrying millions of pesos in silver and gold from the New World sank off the coast of Florida in a hurricane. This episode explores the disaster that became known as the Wreck of the 1715 Fleet, the largest loss of treasure in the history of the Carrera de Indias. Lucas and Luna discuss the fleet's departure from Havana under Captain-General Juan Esteban de Ubilla, the storm that scattered eleven ships across a hundred miles of coastline, and the desperate salvage efforts led by Enrique de Torres. They also examine the broader context: the War of the Spanish Succession had drained Spain's coffers, and the loss of this treasure forced Philip V to rely on French loans and postpone rebuilding the navy. The episode touches on the role of indigenous divers from Cuba and the Bahamas, the corruption in the Casa de la Contratación, and how the wreck impacted Spain's already fragile imperial economy. Nearly half the treasure was recovered, but the rest remains on the sea floor, fueling modern-day treasure hunts and legal battles. #1715TreasureFleet #CarreraDeIndias #SpanishTreasure #JuanEstebanDeUbilla #WarOfSpanishSuccession #PhilipV #EnriqueDeTorres #FloridaStrait #Salvage #Hurricane #Silver #Gold #HouseOfTrade #CasaDeLaContratacion #ColonialSpain #History #FexingoHistory #TreasureHunt Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo