Following the Spanish conquest, the discovery of unprecedented deposits of silver ore enriched Spain and fueled the development of global capitalism. New World silver served as the medium of exchange for northern European manufactured goods, Chinese tea, African slaves, and other commodities and services. Centuries later, the mining of industrial minerals in Latin America provided raw materials important in the industrialization process. Within the region, mining launched boomtowns in isolated areas, massive migrations (forced and voluntary), ancillary economic activities (such as ranching, agriculture, and smuggling), regional trade networks, and the eventual formation of mining proletariats and politically influential unions. The question remains, however, whether mining resulted in long- term economic development or simply reaped fortunes for the state, investors, and merchants while leaving behind environmental damage and thousands of miners with terminal illnesses.
Kendall W. Brown examines these and other topics in an authoritative and readable overview suitable for classroom...
