What were the trade routes used between Europe and Americas?

Before the development of steamships in the 19th century, ships reliant on wind power required specific routes known as trade wind routes. These routes would take advantage of the prevailing winds to maximise speed and minimise travel time.

Three significant trade routes emerged between Europe and the Americas:

1. The Northern Route: Passing east of Greenland and Newfoundland, this route connected Northwestern Europe with Northeastern America. It was primarily used for the fur trade and fisheries.

2. The Central Route: also called the "Rhumb Line", this route crossed the North Atlantic Ocean directly, connecting Western Europe with the mid-Atlantic coast of America. It was the most direct route and was widely used for trade and passenger transport.

3. The Southern Route: This route circumnavigated the southern tip of Africa, connecting Europe with South America, and sometimes North America via the Caribbean Sea. This was the longer route but allowed merchants to avoid piracy in the Atlantic Ocean and reach other parts of America beyond the Northeastern coast.

Trans-Pacific trade routes

Between Europe and the Americas, the Pacific Ocean was less significant for trade compared to the Atlantic. There was, however, a notable route linking the west coast of North America to East Asia. This was the Spanish Route, which was established by Spanish explorers in the 16th century.

The Spanish Route consisted of two trade legs:

- From Acapulco in New Spain (modern-day Mexico), ships sailed across the Pacific Ocean to the Philippine Islands.

- From the Philippines, ships followed the Asian coastline and the Malay Archipelago back to Europe, primarily to Spain.