Coopers question..

[Blkcloud]

From what I gathered.. ship after ship left Mexico loaded to the gills with gold and silver... my question is.. how did the ships get the gold.. I'm sure they just didn't sail in one day and people started giving their gold away.. did they bring stuff to sell to the Mexicans??

 

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[kcm]

The Spanish did MUCH mining in Mexico, which then went well up into what is now part of the USA. There weren't "borders" back then, so they also had operations in what was considered outside Mexico for those days. While there "were" some Spanish that worked for gold, most of these Spanish were Conquistadors and were there to provide security, fight any opposition, and keep the work forces in line. Sometimes they traded supplies (bobbles and beads, blankets, food) for work, but would also do forced labor with the locals.

 

[Dr. Syn]

And they killed the folks and stole much of it. It's not like the Seven Dwarfs, singing HI HO HI HO on the way to the mines, it was slave labor and death sentences for those that did the mining. Often worked to death, or put to death. Or the Spanish just went in, killed everyone there, and took the booty.