Portugal's Forgotten Pacific: The Manila Galleon Trade

The History of Portugal: The Small Nation That Built a Global Empire — Fexingo History · Oct 12, 2026 · 5m · transcript

We left off with the Treaty of Tordesillas dividing the globe, but the real story of Portuguese expansion lies in the silent, monsoon-driven voyages across the Pacific. This episode explores the Estado da Índia’s desperate bid to monopolize the spice trade by linking Macau directly to Acapulco via the Manila Galleon route. We follow the Jesuit Matteo Ricci as he navigates the Ming Court and the Forbidden City, while also examining how the Portuguese used their religious authority through the Padroado Real to challenge Dutch aggression in the Batalha de Macau. From the silk routes of Suzhou to…