The Spanish Flota
however, the availability of silver in Europe caused the value of this precious metal to plummet. At the same time, the cost to sail rose. Combined with high inflation and the drain of the Thirty Years' War on Spain's economy, these brought about the decline of the flota system.
In 1537, six warships and twenty merchant ships comprised one-third of the flota. During its declining years, the entire fleet usually numbered twelve ships. By 1740, Spain abandoned the system all together, although the Manila Galleons continued to sail for almost another century.
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