Castillo de San Marcos symbolized Spain's vast New World empire. Built between 1672 and 1695, the coquina fort replaced a series of wooden forts that had protected St. Augustine for more than 100 years. Improvements in the mid-1700s helped the Castillo, with its soldiers and guns, keep pirates and the British at bay. Spain controlled Florida, and the Castillo helped keep its enemies away from Gulf Stream shipping lanes. Spanish treasure fleets used these routes to carry sugar, tobacco, pearls, silver, and gold to Europe, and these major roadways of their day connected continents and cultures.
