In New Spain these vessels were often called the China ships, and the road to Acapulco the China Road for reasons which will soon become apparent. So a line of communications had to be maintained via New Spain and for this purpose there was established a line of royal vessels known in history as the Manila galleons, the Philippine ships, the state galleons or the Royal Naos of Manila. The current doctrine of the freedom of the seas had yet to be promulgated by the Dutch writers on international law, Grotius and Bynkershoek. Direct communication between the Philippines and Spain was impossible as the Portuguese and later the Dutch held the monopoly on the route to the Far East via the Cape of Good Hope. The Philippines were colonized from Mexico, or New Spain as it was then called in 1564, and these islands remained little more than an outlying province of that country until Mexico declared her independence from Spain in 1821.
This civilization spread to the Philippines and the city of Manila reached the zenith of its prosperity before the first colonist landed on the shores of Virginia. Our historical interest has been focused on Europe and on the Atlantic seaboard and we are apt to forget that a highly developed European civilization in Mexico quickly followed the downfall of the Aztec culture before the infinitesimal army and bursting enthusiasm of Cortez. Introduction.-Almost forgotten now in these days of Anglo-Saxon and Japanese domination of the Pacific is that long before these peoples obtained a prominent place in the world's affairs there existed a trade across that ocean of which, considering its centuries of existence and the richness of its cargoes, there are few counterparts in history.
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