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date: 08 February 2025

Potosí Mineslocked

Potosí Mineslocked

  • Kris LaneKris LaneDepartment of History, Tulane University

Summary

This article examines the long history of Potosí, Bolivia, home of the world’s most productive silver mines. The mines, discovered in 1545 and still active today, are discussed in terms of their geology, discovery, productivity, labor history, and technological development. The article also treats the social and environmental consequences of nearly five hundred years of continuous mining and refining.

Subjects

  • History of Northern and Andean Spanish America
  • 1492–1824
  • Colonialism and Imperialism
  • Labor History

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