The Mountain That Eats Men
The mine that funded the Spanish Empire and killed millions
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Beschreibung
The harrowing story of the silver mountain in Bolivia that created the world's first global currency at the cost of millions of lives.
"The Mountain That Eats Men – The mine that funded the Spanish Empire and killed millions" explores the dark history of Cerro Rico (Rich Mountain) in Potosí, Bolivia. Discovered in 1545, this single mountain produced an estimated 60% of all the silver in the world during the 16th and 17th centuries. It made Spain the superpower of Europe and fueled the global economy, including China's demand for silver.
Historian Maria Oren details the human cost. The Spanish forced indigenous people (the "mitayo") and African slaves to work in the mines in horrific conditions. The mercury used to refine the silver poisoned the air and water, turning Potosí into a "mouth of hell." It is estimated that up to eight million people died in the mines over three centuries.
"The Mountain That Eats Men" connects the coins in our pockets to this tragedy. It argues that the modern global economy was born in the darkness of Potosí, built on a foundation of silver and blood.
Autor*in
Maria Oren
Author
Themen in »The Mountain That Eats Men«
Potosí Cerro Rico Spanish Empire Silver Mining Colonialism Bolivia Economic History