The Battle of Matanzas Bay
By the first few decades of the 17th century, the Dutch and Spanish had been at war in the Netherlands for over sixty years, with little sign of either side emerging on top. With their backs to the North Sea, the Dutch defended their land and independence with desperate ferocity. For her part, Spain was able to fund an almost perpetual war, thanks to the flow of gold and silver bullion mined in her American empire. For over a hundred years these treasure fleets had crossed th
