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| Sketch of Potosi in 1533 |
The discovery of the Americas was just the start of an
exploration of a land that had so much potential and resources. A new economic
order in Europe brought so much change in trade and economic perspective and
policies. This new policy, called Mercantilism, brought the need for the
control of sources of raw materials as well as new markets for manufactured
products. This led to a wave of imperialism, colonialism, and a search for
sources of wealth. The Spanish, in particular, were keen to discover El Dorado,
the city of gold. But what they found out in the Peruvian highlands was almost
similar in size of wealth. Cerro de Potosi would change a landscape of the
mountain itself and world commerce as a whole.
.JPG)