History of mining - Atacama Region, Chile

 Introduction to mining history 1830 - 1920

español  / deutsch / english

Cause or result? Globalization advanced strongly at that time. On the one hand, mining products (copper, gold, silver, saltpeter) sought an international market. Only globalization allowed a mine located in Chile to compete directly with a mine in Germany or England. On the other hand, only a globalized world can guarantee mines and infrastructure's technical development in a globalized world.

During this period, the first wave of globalization began a worldwide technical development, especially in the mining sector. Between 1840 / 1850, we can detect an intense activity in research trips. But European entrepreneurs are also increasingly coming to the Atacama region to initiate mining activities. Examples are Darwin, Domeyko,  Edwards, Treutler, Schwartzenberg, Gay.

Only cooperation with countries such as the USA or England could achieve infrastructure improvements such as constructing an efficient railway system.

A significant step forward was the completion of the telegraph lines, which established a connection with the USA or Europe using submarine cables. Now the mine owners in Copiapó were able to obtain information about, for example, the International Copper or Silver prices directly. The acquisition of machines abroad was also much more accessible.

Map of submarine cables in the years around 1883 (modified from:"Chile im Jahre 1883; Polakowski (1884)")
in large

Literature and Links, Bibliographical reference:

TREUTLER, PAUL (1882): Fünfzehn Jahre in Südamerika an de Ufern des Stillen Ozeans. - 3 Bd., Seite 50; Weltpostverlag, Leipzig. (Collection W. Griem)

Carta completa en inglés: agradecimientos: Thanks to Sharron P. Schwartz (University of Exeter) - por el permiso de incorporar la traducción de la carta.
http://www.ex.ac.uk/cornishlatin/Lettertuckingmillminer.htm

PHILIPPI, RUDOLPH AMANDUS (1860): REISE DURCH DIE WUESTE ATACAMA AUF BEFEHL DER CHILENISCHEN REGIERUNG IM SOMER 1853-54 UNTERNOMMEN UND BESCHRIEBEN. VON DR... NEBST EINER KARTE UND XXVII TAFELN HALLE Eduard Anton 1860

Polakowsky (traductor) (1884): Chile im Jahre 1883. aus dem spanischen übersetzt von Dr. H. Polakowsky. - Thormann & Goetsch (Berlin 1884) (Colección W. Griem)

Guía SudAmericana (1910-1912) y General de Chile. - 3ª Edición para 1910 - 1912; Valparaíso (Chile) (Biblioteca Museo Regional de Atacama)

SIMONIN, L. (1867): La vie Soutterraine ou les mines et les mineurs. - Paris, Libraire de L. Hachette et G. (Collection W. Griem)