How Did Silver Mining Affect Latin America

Silver Mining

Before the sudden boom in silver production and value, gold was way more apparent the years before 1540 in America. Silver production soon became more valuable and quantitative than gold in New Spain, Upper Peru, and Peru. Since silver required more processing, and as a consequence more labor input, more was invested in the production of it. The richest mine in terms of silver content was the one found in Potosi in the year 1545. During the years between 1581 and 1810, silver mining and production skyrocketed in both Peru and Mexico. The abundance of silver helped Latin America boost its economy greatly and turned into a global influence. Production of silver in New Spain produced around fifty metric tons of silver during this

This mine was discovered in 1545. At least nineteen foundries and mills were placed in this location for the processing of silver. Even in 1776, silver from Potosi still contributed to about eighty percent of the region’s export value. The geographical area soon changed after the establishment of these mines. Deforestation occurred in areas nearby Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, Guanajuato, Durango, Chihuahua, and Sonora. This was due to the need for fuel wood as supply for the production of silver. Because Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi and Guanajuato were close by cities they would often find themselves fighting over the same resources in order to keep their mines up and running. That’s another cause for the massive deforestation that occurred in these areas. A lot of the mines established were in high hill country, valleys, and mountain slopes. In nearby communities of Potosi the hacienda counts almost double after forty years of the establishment of these mines. New smelting centers were also built. Silver processing was heat intensive and that’s why a lot of the forests were chopped down. It was apparently worth it for the Spaniards because the mass production that these mines