EXCLUSIVE: Did This Shipwreck Change the Course of History?
November 2, 2015 - A well-preserved shipwreck discovered earlier this year near
Cartagena, Colombia, could be from the Battle of
Cartagena de Indias in 1741. As a massive British naval fleet approached this crucial New World port, Spanish admiral Blas de Lezo ordered several warships sunk to block the entrance. The battle-weary British retreated—a turning point in Colombian history that allowed the Spanish to maintain control of the region.
Learn more about the discovery of a Spanish shipwreck from the 1741 Battle of Cartagena de Indias.
Transcript
ARMUNDO
GRUESO, ARGENTINE ARCHEOLOGIST:
The amount
of information that can be gathered from this shipwreck is enormous.
CRISTIAN
MURRAY, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ANTHROPOLOGY & LATIN AMERICAN THOUGHT:
Since it was
pretty much buried by sedimentation, a large portion of the structure has been
well preserved.
ON-SCREEN TEXT:
In March
2015 a shipwreck of potentially epic significance was discovered off the coast
of Cartagena, Colombia.
CRISTIAN MURRAY, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ANTHROPOLOGY & LATIN AMERICAN THOUGHT:
This vessel
has not yet been identified, so we’re not sure exactly what ship it
was, but from what we've found,
it could be one of the Spanish ships that were purposely sunk in order to block
English ships during the
British invasion, led by Commander [Edward] Vernon, in the 18th century.
History
would have changed if that battle had turned out differently.
ON-SCREEN TEXT:
In 1741, the British Empire sought to
conquer the New World and defeat the Spanish by attempting an amphibious assault so massive it was not matched in size until the WWII invasion of Normandy.
CARLOS DEL CAIRO, ANTHROPOLOGIST, PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD JAVERIANA:
Cartagena
was one of the most important ports in the colony that connected all the other
cities from South America to Central America. If the English could take
Cartagena, they could control all the new world.
In 1741,
the English troops came with 200 ships and 3000 soldiers and tried to attack
Cartagena de Indias. And at this time the defense of Cartagena de Indias was
really really poor: 5 ships, some forts, and very very few troops of the
Spanish army. Then the proportion against the English was 10 vs. 1.
Then Blaz de Lezo took the decision to sacrifice
their three warships,
sinking these three
vessels in order to block the entrance of the channel.
The Battle of 1741 is a very important event for
the history of Colombia. Because it's the symbol of the heroism of the Spanish
defense against the English.
CRISTIAN MURRAY, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ANTHROPOLOGY & LATIN AMERICAN THOUGHT:
When you’re
diving, you can practically fly above a structure, getting a bird’s eye view,
which on land would be very difficult to get. And that, of course, helps a great deal when attempting to interpret and
visualize the structure.
The ship’s
structure is in excellent condition, which is very unusual within the environment of Caribbean
tropical waters. Generally, in the waters around here, wooden ships are
battered and practically eaten up by organisms that feed on wood.
What we’ve
found so far is substantial parts of the bottom of the ship—the keel, the frame, and just
above the keel, part of the lining. Therefore, based on these wood pieces and
the types of nails and bolts that held them together, we believe that the
ship was built in Spain at the beginning of the 18th century, possibly around 1720.
ON-SCREEN TEXT:
Because it’s
a significant symbol of Colombia’s cultural heritage, there’s a possibility
that the ship’s remains will be raised, depending on whether it can be
conserved and stored properly.
Raising the
ship could provide invaluable information and a rare
opportunity to honor the Battle of Cartagena de Indias.
