Trabajadores, artesanos y trajinantes. La participación indígena en la economía minera del México colonial: Real del Monte en la segunda mitad del siglo XVIII

This article examines the participation of the indigenous people in the mining industry of New Spain in the second half of the eighteenth century. The study focuses on the Indian population of Real del Monte, a major silver producer center of Mexico in the late colonial period. There are not sufficient historical studies about the lower sectors of the mining societies, particularly the indigenous population, which is commonly associated with the figure of unskilled manual labourers and with the lowest ranks of the social pyramid. Based on a extraordinary parish census of Real del Monte made in 1768, the outstanding presence of Indians as labour force in the mines and in diverse commercial and service occupations is shown. They were essential to the city’s mining economy. This case study seeks to contribute to broaden our knowledge and understanding of the lower social groups who contributed to the remarkable performance of silver mining in this area and the rest of Mexico during the colonial period