To counteract pirate attacks on galleon convoys headed for Spain while loaded with New World treasures, the Spanish crown decided to protect its ships by concentrating them in one large fleet, the Spanish treasure fleet, which would traverse the Atlantic Ocean as a group.
Radi suzbijanja piratskih napada na konvoje galijuna na putovanjima za Španjolsku s tovarima dragocijenosti iz Novog Svijeta, španjolska je kruna odlučila zaštiti brodove koncentrirajući ih u jednu veliku flotu, koja bi prelazila Atlantski ocean kao grupa.