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The Mita System in Potosí: Forced Labor Under Spanish Rule
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the mita system, the forced labor institution that powered Spanish colonial silver mining in Peru. Focusing on Potosí and Huancavelica, they trace how Viceroy Francisco de Toledo systematized indigenous draft labor in the 1570s, transforming Andean communities and fueling global silver trade. They discuss the harsh working conditions in the Cerro Rico and mercury mines, the role of kurakas as intermediaries, and the long-term demographic collapse. The episode also contrasts the mita with the earlier encomienda and later repartimiento systems, and…
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