This book provides a detailed history of the mining industry in the Mexican state of Hidalgo, from the Spanish colonial period to the present day. With detailed maps and illustrations, as well as firsthand accounts from miners and their families, this book is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the social and economic history of Mexico. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1882.

Germán Vergara explains how, when, and why fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) became the basis of Mexican society.