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The Miserable Treasure: Potosi's Silver and Global Empire
This episode dives into the heart of Spain's American empire: the Cerro Rico of Potosí. Lucas and Luna explore how a mountain of silver in modern-day Bolivia fueled global trade, transformed economies from Seville to Manila, and subjected millions of indigenous Andeans to the brutal mit'a labor system. We trace the mita's origins in Inca tradition, its perversion under Viceroy Francisco de Toledo, and the staggering human cost—an estimated eight million bodies lost in the mines over centuries. We also examine the mercury amalgamation process using cinnabar from Huancavelica…
The skinny
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