Spanish Main
| Spanish Main | |
|---|---|
| Region of Spanish Empire | |
 Spanish possessions (yellow)[when?] in the Caribbean region, with the coastline of the Spanish Main indicated (thick maroon line). | |
During the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the Spanish Main was the collective term for the parts of the Spanish Empire that were on the mainland of the Americas and had coastlines on the Caribbean Sea or Gulf of Mexico. The term was used to distinguish those regions from the numerous islands Spain controlled in the Caribbean, which were known as the Spanish West Indies.[1]
Etymology
The word "main" in the expression is a contraction of mainland.[2]
Composition
The Spanish Main included Spanish Florida and New Spain, the latter extending through modern-day Texas, Mexico, all of Central America, to Colombia and Venezuela on the north coast of South America. Major ports along this stretch of coastline included Veracruz, Porto Bello, Cartagena de Indias and Maracaibo.[citation needed]
The term is sometimes used in a more restricted sense that excludes the territories on the Gulf of Mexico. The Spanish Main then encompassed the Caribbean coastline from the
Economic importance and piracy
From the 16th to the early 19th century, enormous wealth was shipped from the Spanish Main to Spain in the form of
The Spanish Main became a frequent target for
See also
References
- ^ Cartwright, Mark. "Spanish Main". World History Encyclopedia. World History Foundation ~ World History Publishing.
- ^ a b Online Etymology Dictionary: main (n.) Retrieved 20 August 2014
- ^ "Spanish Main". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ Potomac Books, 2007)
Further reading
- Sauer, Carl O. The Early Spanish Main. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press 1969.
External links
- Melfisher.org: Reefs, Wrecks and Rascals — archived version.
