Summary of Andrés Reséndez's Conquering The Pacific

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 Navidad, a small tourist town on Mexico’s Pacific coast, was the site of the largest shipbuilding project in the Americas up to that point. The town was a secret facility, and the money came from the Spanish crown. #2 The fleet being assembled at Navidad was unusual in one final respect. Expedition leaders generally enlisted their men right on the spot, even for long-distance voyages. However, the majority of the crew members came from distant corners of the Spanish possessions and even from beyond. #3 The Treaty of Tordesillas, which divided the world between Portugal and Spain in 1494, set the stage for an all-out race for the Far East and its riches. Portugal rounded Africa, then India, and eventually burst into Southeast Asia. Spain kept to the left of the line, exploring the American continent, finding an opening between the oceans, and crossing the Pacific into Asia. #4 The race between Portugal and Spain was to reach the east by way of the west. Portugal was a very small country that could not take over the world, while Spain was large and could easily take over the world.