Por Virtud del Asiento: The naval logistics of the slave trade to the Spanish Indies (1604-1624)

Abstract

From 1595 up until 1640, the slave trade to the Spanish Indies was under the asiento system, monopolized by Portuguese new-Christian traders. This paper analyses the naval logistics of this specific transatlantic slave trade from 1604 to 1624, based on documentation in the Archivo General de Índias in Seville. In accordance to the data available, it is possible to present tendencies about this specific slave trade, the typology of the ships involved, and the crews’ age and provenance. The new data presented in this paper is a complement to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database, as it is based solely on evidence from the Archivo and has a different focus, specifically its naval logistics. Although it was a monopolized trade, it was only made possible by a multitude of participants.