Plundering the Spanish Main: Henry Morgan’s Raid on Panama
Author(s): Tomas Mendizabal; Frederick H Hanselmann; Juan Martin
Year: 2016
Summary
Sorting through myth and popular perception in order arrive at truth and historical veracity is one of the most intriguing aspects of historical archaeology. Featured in a variety of media, and, of course, the iconic rum, Henry Morgan lives on in modern popular culture. Yet through the little historical documentation and archaeological evidence that exists, much can be learned about his exploits that led to the creation of his fame and legend. The Spanish Main, or the continental Spanish colonies in the western hemisphere, were rich in natural resources, especially gold and silver, and Panama was one of the most crucial waypoints in the shipment of these precious metals. Morgan’s final and most famous victory would occur with the sack of Panama City in 1671. Both terrestrial and underwater archaeological efforts seek to piece together evidence of his ultimate victory, one that would cement his name in history.
Cite this Record
Plundering the Spanish Main: Henry Morgan’s Raid on Panama. Tomas Mendizabal, Frederick H Hanselmann, Juan Martin. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Washington, D.C. 2016 ( tDAR id: 434832)
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Keywords
General
Landscape
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Piracy
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Shipwreck
Geographic Keywords
North America
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United States of America
Temporal Keywords
17th Century
Spatial Coverage
min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): 678