
- 272 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About this book
In 1545, a native Andean prospector hit pay dirt on a desolate red mountain in highland Bolivia. There followed the world’s greatest silver bonanza, making the Cerro Rico, or “Rich Hill,” and the Imperial Villa of Potosí instant legends, famous from Istanbul to Beijing. The Cerro Rico alone provided over half of the world’s silver for a century, and even in decline, it remained the single richest source on Earth.
Potosí is the first interpretive history of the fabled mining city’s rise and fall. From Potosí’s startling emergence in the sixteenth century to its collapse in the nineteenth, Kris Lane tells the story of global economic transformation and the environmental and social impact of rampant colonial exploitation. Lane’s invigorating narrative offers rare details of this thriving city and its promise of prosperity. A new world—native workers, market women, African slaves, and other ordinary residents living alongside elite merchants, refinery owners, wealthy widows, and crown officials—emerges in lively, riveting stories from the original sources. An engrossing depiction of excess and devastation, Potosí reveals the relentless human tradition in boom times and bust.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Series Page
- Imprint
- Subvention
- Frontispiece
- Title
- Copyright
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- List of Illustrations
- Acknowledgments
- Preface
- Timeline
- Introduction
- 1 • Bonanza
- 2 • Age of Wind, Age of Iron
- 3 • The Viceroy’s Great Machine
- 4 • An Improbable Global City
- 5 • Secret Judgments of God
- 6 • Decadence and Rebirth
- 7 • From Revival to Revolution
- 8 • Summing Up
- Epilogue: Potosí since Independence
- Appendix: Voices
- Glossary
- Notes
- Bibliographical Essay
- Select Bibliography
- Index