HIST 214 Lecture Notes - Lecture 14: Wage Labour, Mercury Poisoning, Dutch Disease
Document Summary
Mining as the basis of the spanish colonial enterprise. Only real $ is gold and silver. The crown and the quinta (20% tax) Forced labor- mita (every 7 years, 20-50 year-old men owes 1 year in the mines, and has to leave 4 months early) Mining (potosi) 2 weeks on, 1 week off for the year. Tribute and wage labor: tax paid in coin. Cocoa leaves, used to make cocaine, ends hunger as it breaks up starches. Mita moved rocks (ore) out of the mine. Huancavelica (1 week on, 2 weeks off, in peru) and mercury (red powder aerosol) mining. The patio system (to lay out silver, pour mercury, and use donkeys to mix) Peru had one of the largest mercury mines. Crush up silver ore, mix with mercury. Workers kept coin under tongue to collect mercury. Decline of mining in the 17th century. Indios de faltriquera- collect money so they wouldn"t mine.
