A History of Mining in Latin America: From the Colonial Era to the Present

A History of Mining in Latin America: From the Colonial Era to the Present. By KendallW. Brown. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2012. Pp. xix+258. $34.95.

A History ofMining in Latin America is the result of two decades of research by Kendall Brown of Brigham Young University, who, in eight chapters, compresses approximately 450 years of the history of the exploitation of mineral resources, labor, and technology in Latin America. The nearly three centuries of Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule were based on the ruthless exploitation of Indians and slaves to produce silver and gold. This lasted until the nineteenth century,when this systemwas replaced by mechanization and salaried employment, while in the twentieth century national governments expanded the inventory of mineral wealth. This is a good textbook that provides an overview of the links among work, technology, and culture in Latin America.

The long colonial period, analyzed in chapters 1 through 4, begins in 1514,with gold production in the Caribbean, and silver production, in 1545, at the extremely rich Potosí mine, which is located in present-day Bolivia. For the colonial period, Brown highlights three basic types...