How many people have died in Potosi mine?
eight million
The mine at Potosi became the world’s biggest after silver was discovered there by the Spanish in 1545. African and indigenous slaves worked the mines – it is estimated as many as eight million may have died. The mines at Potosi were a source of huge riches for Spain until the end of colonial rule in the 19th Century.
What was the negative effects of the Potosi silver mine?
Thousands of the indigenous people were forced to work at the mines, where many perished through accidents, brutal treatment, or poisoning by the mercury used in the extraction process. Around 30,000 African slaves were also brought to the city, where they were forced to work and die as human mules.
How many people have died in the mines of Cerro Rico?
eight million people
During the Spanish Colonial era, two billion ounces of silver was extracted from the mountain. Over the same period about eight million people are estimated to have died, earning Cerro Rico the nickname, the Mountain that Eats Men.
Is there still silver in Potosi?
Geology. Located in the Bolivian Tin Belt, Cerro Rico de Potosí is the world’s largest silver deposit and has been mined since the sixteenth century, producing up to 60,000 tonnes by 1996. Estimates are that much silver still remains in the mines.
How much silver was mined from Potosi?
Over 40,000 tons of silver from Potosi fuelled the first truly global economy. he Potosi silver mine brought the Spanish more wealth than they could ever imagine. Everyone across the globe paid with the silver from Potosi.
How many slaves were in Potosí?
At its peak in the early 17th century, 160,000 native Peruvians, slaves from Africa and Spanish settlers lived in Potosí to work the mines around the city: a population larger than London, Milan or Seville at the time.
Why was Potosí so important to the Spanish?
The Cerro Rico is the reason for Potosí’s historical importance since it was the major supply of silver for the Spanish Empire until Guanajuato in Mexico surpassed it in the 18th century.
What is Potosí silver worth?
$36 billion
The nearby city of Potosi became one of the largest cities in the New World, with 200,000 inhabitants. In the next 200 years, the Spanish mined over 40,000 tons of silver from Potosi mine. The worth of silver today would be over $36 billion.
Is there still silver in Potosí?
Who owned the Potosí mine?
The Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire, which owned the Potosi mine, fared little better. The Spanish kings squandered fortunes on religious wars and colossal building projects. The uncontrolled influx of silver caused hyperinflation in Europe. Between 1500 and 1700, the Spanish Empire declared itself bankrupt nine times!
How did 8 million miners die in Potosi?
But that boom came at an extremely high price tag — an estimated eight million miners died in Potosi alone between 1500 and 1800. What it is still unclear is how those miners met their deaths. Some say the area was an indigenous burial ground for slaves and indentured servants who may have worked in the mines.
What happened to the mines in Bolivia?
Bolivia, as an independent nation, was never to profit from the mines as had her old colonial masters. While the mines are still active, with some 8,000 men mining Cerro Rico for tin and zinc, the yield is low and the conditions are poor.
Is Potosi a wealthy city in Bolivia?
Present day Potosi, said to be the highest city in the world, is not a wealthy city by any means. A handful of museums and a fair few colonial buildings, some in various states of disrepair and others lovingly restored by UNESCO projects, are reminders of former colonial times, but otherwise the city is not so far removed from other Bolivian towns.
What is Cerro de Potosi known for?
Looming over the town, a constant reminder of former glories, is the conical form of Cerro de Potosi, also known as Cerro Rico (the ‘Rich Mountain’), from which was plucked enough silver to build what was once one of the largest cities in the world. Before the arrival of the Spanish, the riches of Cerro Rico lay almost untouched.