Spanish silver mining at Potosí and its colonial economy (1545–1800)

1. Silver lode discovered at Cerro Rico

   Jan 1, 1545Labels: Cerro Rico, Potos, Spanish miners

   • UNESCO Potos
   • Britannica Potos

2. Huancavelica mercury deposits enter colonial supply

   Jan 1, 1564Labels: Huancavelica, mercury deposits, colonial state

   • UNESCO Huancavelica
   • EHP Mercury

3. Toledo expands the colonial mita for Potosí

   Jan 1, 1573Labels: Francisco de, mita, Potos

   • Mit a
   • UNESCO Potos

4. Potosí’s first royal mint begins coinage

   Mar 28, 1574Labels: Casa de, Potos, royal mint

   • Numismatic Mint
   • Casa Moneda

5. Mercury-amalgamation refining expands output after 1580

   Jan 1, 1580Labels: mercury amalgamation, hydraulic mills, Potos

   • UNESCO Potos
   • EHP Mercury

6. Potosí becomes a major driver of global silver flows

   Jan 1, 1591Labels: Potos silver, global trade, Spanish Empire

   • Brill Silver Age
   • UNESCO Potos

7. Potosí grows into a mining boomtown

   Jan 1, 1600Labels: Potos city, miners, merchant class

   • Britannica Potos
   • UNESCO Potos

8. Seventeenth-century decline as rich ores are exhausted

   Jan 1, 1650Labels: ore depletion, deep mining, Potos

   • Britannica Potos
   • Brill Silver Age

9. Royal mineral tax reduced to spur mining

   Jan 1, 1723Labels: royal tax, quinto real, Bourbon reforms

   • Britannica Quinto
   • Bolivia History

10. Large replacement mint building constructed in Potosí

    Jan 1, 1753Labels: Potos mint, mint building, colonial administration

    • Lonely Planet
    • UNESCO Potos

11. Túpac Amaru II rebellion spreads into Upper Peru

    Nov 4, 1780Labels: T pac, Upper Peru, indigenous revolt

    • Britannica Amaru
    • Amaru Rebellion

12. Mining activity slows sharply after 1800

    Jan 1, 1800Labels: mining slowdown, Potos decline, postcolonial shift

    • UNESCO Potos
    • Britannica Potos