The Mines of Potosi - Part 6

Today we look at the first wave of migration from the West Indies to Central America. Instigated by the construction of railway, this arduous work saw extremely high death rates among the imported labour force, and a collection of lawless towns grew up alongside the route of the track.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-latin-american-history-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today we start a new series looking at the wave of migration that saw people from the English speaking Caribbean moving to Central America 100-150 years ago. Many parts of the coastline of Costa Rica and Panama still have large populations of English speakers, and the legacy of this movement can be found everywhere from the Panama Canal to Reggaeton.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-latin-american-history-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In today's episode we talk to Haley Cohen Gilliland about her new book. Based on interviews with the protagonists of this recent and continuing piece of Argentine history, the book looks at the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo and their search for their disappeared family members. The story is a fascinating one, and the book traces through several generations, from the 20th century context which provided the context for the military junta to emerge, the complex personal struggles which still take place today when someone discovers their links to one of Argentina's darkest episodes, and that they are not who they thought they were.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-latin-american-history-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In the final episode of the series we trace the protracted decline of utopia. Split into rival settlements, the inhabitants will gradually abandon their communal ethos. Meanwhile, legal and financial problems in Australia will further undermine the project and its ideals. Finally, we look at what happened afterwards - William Lane's strange political U-turn, the scattered countries where New Australians ended up, and the lives of the descendants of those who remain in Paraguay to this day.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-latin-american-history-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today's episode covers the moment when the New Australia project cracked and splintered into separate settlements. We look at the reasons for this split, and how it manifested itself. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-latin-american-history-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The third part of the story of New Australia is marked by conflict. In this episode the divisions within the colonists deepen, and lead to open revolt against Lane's leadership, and even instances of physical violence. Could the colony survive the turmoil?Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-latin-american-history-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In part two of the series the idealistic Australians travel to South America and up the River Plate to the land on which they will found their utopia. Then, they begin the actual work of building it. While this was all done without any major drama, things do not go as smoothly when it came to internal dynamics. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-latin-american-history-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

At the end of the 1800s a group of Utopianist Australians decided to set off to build a worker's paradise in the remote Paraguayan hinterlands. It didn't quite go to plan, but their story is one of those bizarre and unexpected one that Latin American history frequently throws up.In the first episode we look at the political, social, and economic context of the scheme to understand why it happened. We introduce its main proponent, and the idealistic laws which would govern the colony.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-latin-american-history-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

In the final episode of the series, we look at how Potosi declined from being the rich source of most of the world's silver, to a forgotten and impoverished place. We track the town through the late colonial era, the wars of independence, and the 20th century.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-latin-american-history-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Today we discuss one of the greatest incidents in Potosi's history - the Great Mint Fraud. This story reads partially like a political investigative thriller, and partially like a mafia expose. It's effects will reverberate around the world, disrupting the global economy, and it will damage Potosi itself for decades.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-latin-american-history-podcast/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy