Pablo Emilio Pérez-Mallaína Bueno: "La gente de mar en la Carrera de Indias"

The lecture provides a rich and detailed account of the social history of the Carrera de Indias, focusing on the often-overlooked common sailors. The speaker’s expertise is evident, and he effectively uses primary sources from the Archivo General de Indias, such as pilot examinations, apprenticeship contracts, and salary petitions, to bring individual stories to life. The inclusion of contemporary paintings and objects from shipwrecks as historical evidence is a strength, as it grounds the narrative in material culture. The argumentation is solid, with clear explanations of the fleet system and the reasons behind its success. However, the lecture is somewhat descriptive rather than analytical, and it does not engage with broader historiographical debates or offer new interpretations. The sources are primarily archival, but the speaker does not provide specific citations or references during the talk, which limits the ability to verify claims. The title accurately reflects the content, and the lecture is well-structured, moving from the general context to the specific experiences of sailors. The visual aids are well-chosen and enhance the presentation. Overall, this is a valuable and engaging lecture for anyone interested in maritime history, but it is more of an expert overview than a groundbreaking contribution.

The title accurately reflects the content, which focuses on the people who crewed the ships of the Carrera de Indias.

8/10

The speaker is a recognized historian specializing in the Carrera de Indias, and the lecture is based on primary sources from the Archivo General de Indias, with careful use of contemporary images as historical evidence. The content is well-structured and grounded in archival research, though it is a conference presentation rather than a peer-reviewed publication.

Markers derived by PSI from the transcript: the creator did not define chapters.

• 00:00Introduction: the speaker introduces the topic of the Carrera de Indias and the people who crewed the ships, emphasizing the use of documents and images as historical sources.
• 02:00The scale of the enterprise: 20,000 km straight-line distance between Seville and Manila, and the need to follow winds, making the actual voyage 30,000-40,000 km.
• 05:00The fleet system: convoys of merchant ships protected by warships, the armada de galeones, and the funding of defense by all parties.
• 08:00Success rate: over 20,000 ships crossed the Atlantic between 1500 and 1772, with only 3% lost, and only 0.6% due to enemy action.
• 10:00The wealth carried by the fleets: examples of gold and silver from shipwrecks, such as the galleon Atocha, and the use of gold chains as currency.
• 12:00The hard work of loading and unloading ships, done by muscle power, with only one crane in Seville and none in American ports.
• 15:00The dangers of the sea: storms and shipwrecks, as depicted in a Bruegel painting, and the negative reputation of maritime life in proverbs.
• 18:00Why men became sailors: the quote from Juan Escalante de Mendoza about sailors being sons of poverty, and the role of poverty in driving recruitment.
• 21:00Children in the maritime world: orphans and poor children were often taken on as apprentices, as shown in Murillo's painting and archival contracts.
• 24:00Examples of individual cases: Francisco Manuel's pilot exam, Bartolomé Núñez's apprenticeship contract, and Diego Sánchez's petition for his children.

• Event page: La gente de mar en la Carrera de Indias — Official event page from Fundación BBVA providing details about the lecture.

• Carrera de Indias - Wikipedia — General information on the Carrera de Indias, supporting the lecture's description of the fleet system and its scale.