Caribbean timber supply for the Spanish Navy: Shipbuilding and maintenance of war vessels in the Maritime Department of Cadiz (1729–1759)

Abstract

This article constitutes an introduction to the Caribbean timber supply for the service of the Spanish state shipbuilding industry in the context of the reforms of the naval sector promoted by the early Bourbon administration. The selected case study focuses on the hardwoods from Cuba (as well as Mexico, Puerto Rico and Santo Domingo) shipped to Cadiz during the reigns of Philip V and Ferdinand VI, between the late 1720s and 1750s. This supply was facilitated by the naval infrastructures established in Havana and Veracruz, as well as the trade networks of the Carrera de Indias and naval squadrons that took charge of its transport. From the state shipbuilding programmes to the repair and maintenance activities motivated by the participation of vessels in the warfare dynamics of the post-Utrecht and Aix-la-Chapelle geopolitical orders, the rhythm of this transatlantic timber supply was the result of multiple factors that had a direct influence on the metropolitan demand for timber.