When it comes to Mexico, it may be that gangs and crimes come to mind first. After all, later generations of Mexico were so chaotic that they forced Trump to start building the wall directly to avoid the inflow of Mexican criminals.
But in history, Mexico is a very important place. Here is the country of silver ...
Once, the Mexican Eagle Ocean was the most important currency in the world trade market. In addition to gold coins, silver coins are the strongest in Mexico's Eagle Ocean. This silver dollar used to be the most important currency for trade between Europe and the Daming Empire. Even the Dutch, the enemy of the Spaniards, had to exchange for the Mexican Eagle Ocean to settle with the smugglers of the Ming Dynasty. This is because their own silver coins have too low a silver content and are not recognized by smugglers in the Ming Dynasty.
Mexico's silver reserves are extremely rich, once occupying about one-third of world production for a long time. Together with Peru, it accounts for more than half of the world's silver production.
Marin wanted to occupy and develop silver mines in Peru. After all, the Potosi silver mine is also very famous. However, the expedition to the Inca Empire in Peru was very troublesome. Because the Peruvian plateau is relatively far away, it is not convenient to dispatch troops.
Mexico, which is also a silver-producing country, is relatively close, only one strait away from the Cuban colony of Marin. Sending troops from Cuba to Mexico is very convenient and fast.
The Inca Empire in Peru is not too far from the saltpetre mine in the northern desert of Chile. However, it is too troublesome to get there from the local area, and supply and transportation are very inconvenient. Therefore, it is better to develop Mexico, which is on the edge of Cuba.
How much silver is there in Mexico? Although it is said that the silver reserves of Mexico in the later generations have fallen to the sixth place in the world, it is not as much as the silver in China and is far inferior to Peru. However, that was after hundreds of years of silver mining in Mexico.
You know, in the 16th to 19th centuries, Mexico alone cast 3 billion pieces. In 1910, there were nearly 400 million Mexican Eagle Oceans circulating in China. According to the calculation of 244 grams of silver per eagle ocean, 3 billion eagle oceans contain a huge amount of 7.32 million tons of silver. Moreover, this is just counting the silver that was cast into the eagle ocean, and those that have been made into other currencies or silverware have not been counted ...
Even so, the silver reserves of later generations in Mexico are still as high as 370,000 tons. Moreover, the sooner it is mined, it proves that the shallower the silver mine in Mexico is, the easier it is to discover.
Because, in the past, silver is an expensive currency. If silver mines can be found, people will certainly not let go, and have been desperately mining. For example, in the world ’s top-ranked silver mine, Shijian Yinshan, after its discovery in the Warring States Period, the owner continued to work hard until it was exhausted.
Therefore, the silver deposits discovered in later generations are basically difficult to explore. Even buried a few thousand meters underground. Otherwise, it has long been developed.
Of course, that is all going to happen in the future. Far water cannot save the near fire. The most urgent thing for Marin now is that a large amount of silver is needed to ease the shortage of precious metals. At the same time, the issue of trade with Daming must be resolved.
According to historical records, in the original history, after Cortez entered the Aztec Empire in 1519, he hijacked the Aztec emperor and extorted millions of pesos of gold and silver. It can be seen that in this era, Mexico produced a large amount of silver.
It is said that after Cortés occupied Tenochtitlan (later Mexico City), he quickly established a mint in the city. It can be seen that there is a large silver mine near Tenochtitlan city. If Marin sent troops to occupy this place, they can develop this silver mine immediately.
However, it seems that Cortez did not win by strength ...
If Pizarro conquered the Inca Empire with courage and lack of attention, and used cavalry to scare off the Inca Empire soldiers, then Cortes would occupy Mexico more than Pizarro's high-end.
According to records, after landing in Mexico, the Cortez family found a daughter of a local chief as a lover and an interpreter. Then, relying on the daughter of the Aztec chief named Marina who converted to the Catholic Church as a medium, Cortez contacted the Aztec enemies and worked together against the Aztec empire .
Because the Aztec empire relies on strong strength, and often hunts people of other tribes to sacrifice for living people, which is very cruel. Those who were afraid of other ethnic groups in Mexico who were captured by the Aztecs as sacrifices were used by Cortés to translate the Marina, and they gathered together to deal with the Aztec Empire. If Cortes alone, he can't beat the Aztec Empire. After all, the Aztec empire can call all the surrounding tribes dads, and their strength should not be underestimated.
In addition, the Aztecs actually believed in an unreliable legend called "White God", regarded Cortez and other robbers as "ambassadors of God", and then became obscured. Cortez looks white, if you change to black to conquer? Maybe it will be shot ...
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Thinking of these, Marin suddenly did not rush to use force against Mexico immediately, but planned to do business with the Aztec Empire first. At the same time, the Aztecs are encouraged to develop silver mines on a large scale. To this end, Marin even planned to send experts to instruct the Aztecs how to develop silver mines and use modern methods to smelt silver.
To this end, Marin formulated a three-step strategy-
In the first step, Marin planned to send people to contact the Aztecs and try to break into the Aztec Empire. To this end, Marin intends to find a white-looking man who first learns the Aztec language, and then mixes into the Aztec empire, and instructs the Aztecs to use modern means to develop silver mines and expand silver production. ...... With the legend of "White God", Marin can completely let the person who passed him claim to be a "God Envoy", first limping the Aztecs ...
The second step is to exchange some simple commodities for the Aztec silver after the Aztecs developed the silver mine on a large scale. Marin thought that without the rulers of the Aztec empire, he would allow himself to develop Mexican silver mines, which might be developed by the Aztec empire even higher. Because, Marin will treat miners as human beings. The Aztec empire itself, however, would not regard those mining slaves as human beings. But this is good, the Aztecs themselves are cruel. Just let them exploit themselves. Then, the silver produced was deceived by Marin with cheap goods ...
The last step is to send a large number of spies after the first two steps are carried out to penetrate the Aztec Empire and master detailed information. After basically mastering it, send troops and annex the Aztec Empire in one fell swoop. Then, monopolize the silver produced in the Mexican silver mine ...