HIST121 - Silver and Gold in the Americas From Pre-History To the Present

Precious metals have shaped economies and socio-cultural processes in the Americas for thousands of years. Students will work with pre-Columbian gold objects held by the University Museum and be introduced to the long history of indigenous metallurgy. We will also analyze the way gold and silver sent from the "New World" to the "Old World" played a key role in changing economies around the globe. Locally, mining centers were places marked by forced labor, conspicuous consumption, and the destruction of ecosystems. Internationally, gold and silver prices had outsized effects on monetary and trade policies. This course uses case studies to delve into the fascinating history of precious metals and mining in North and South America. We will analyze documents describing the gold objects ransacked by Spanish conquistadors, examine 17th Century proto-industrial silver mining at Potosi, Bolivia, trace the impact and human cost of the huge gold strikes in Minas Gerais, in colonial Brazil, read new work on the California and Yukon moments of "rush", and briefly discuss the role of precious metals in money laundering. An introductory unit focuses on the history of the gold standard in the United States and internationally.