Fortifications as Geometric Machines Marianas During the Early Modern Period

Abstract

Previous studies has addressed the building process of fortifications in Guam during the early modern period, from the first attempts in 1671, reaching a significative number of structures before the early 19th century, located in Umatac (Nuestra Señora del Carmen, Fort Santo Angel, Fort San Jose, Nuestra Señora de la Soledad), Hagåtña (Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe and San Fernando/San Rafael), Orote (Fort Santiago, Fort San Luis, Fort Santa Cruz) and a battery in Merizo. While much archival work has been done, including plans from Spanish archives in Madrid and Seville, a formal comparison with contemporary cases in Southeast Asia and America is still required. From the recent publications on the topic, this paper aims to provide a new interpretation of these projects entangled with other territories. At the same time, other aspects will be included in the discussion such as gunnery availability, their probable shot range and the general design considering the geographical context, especially reefs and water depths. As a result, the historical interpretation will explain the relationship of these islands with the global flows of the time