Q8. Were pirates a threat to El Nuevo Constante?

At that time, most of Europe's gold and silver arrived on Spanish ships from the New World. Pirates, who worked for themselves, and  privateers, who worked for other governments, sometimes tried to steal from these ships. Therefore, Spanish ships traveled in groups for safety. Two warships sailed with the New Spain fleet. Those ships had soldiers and officers on board and usually carried the government's gold and silver. Private merchants were responsible for most of the cargo on the other ships, and they paid taxes to cover the cost of this protection.