Editing History of Honduras (section)

===Colonial mining operations===
[[File:Barrio La Hoya, Tegucigalpa, Honduras - panoramio (2).jpg|thumb|[[Tegucigalpa Cathedral|Cathedral of Saint Michael Archangel]] in Tegucigalpa was built during the XVIII century.]]

The first mining centers were located near the Guatemalan border, around the city of [[Gracias]] in [[Lempira Department|Lempira]]. In 1538 these mines produced significant quantities of gold for the Spanish crown. In the early 1540s, the center of mining activity shifted eastward to the [[Guayape River|Río Guayape]] Valley, and silver joined gold as a major product. This change contributed to the rapid decline of Gracias and the rise of [[Comayagua]] as the center of colonial Honduras. The demands for [[unfree labor]] also led to further revolts and accelerated the decimation of the native population. African slavery was introduced into Honduras, and by 1545 the province may have had as many as 2,000 slaves. Other gold deposits were found near [[San Pedro Sula]] and the port of Trujillo.<ref>{{cite book |date=1995 |title=Honduras a country study |url=http://memory.loc.gov/master/frd/frdcstdy/ho/hondurascountrys00merr_0/hondurascountrys00merr_0.pdf |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Federal Research Division Library of Congress |page=9 |isbn=0-8444-0836-0}}</ref>

Mining production began to decline in 1560, and thus the importance of Honduras. In early 1569, new silver discoveries briefly revived the economy, which led to the founding of [[Tegucigalpa]], which soon began to rival Comayagua as the most important city of the province. The silver boom peaked in 1584, and economic depression returned shortly thereafter. Honduran mining efforts were hampered by lack of capital and labor, and by difficult terrain. Due to the shrinking size of the indigenous population they used as labor, the Spanish decided to import [[Atlantic slave trade|slaves from Africa]] for the mines. Mercury, needed to produce of silver, was scarce in Honduras, and its officials were neglectful.<ref>{{cite book |date=1995 |title=Honduras a country study |url=http://memory.loc.gov/master/frd/frdcstdy/ho/hondurascountrys00merr_0/hondurascountrys00merr_0.pdf |location=Washington, DC |publisher=Federal Research Division Library of Congress |page=10 |isbn=0-8444-0836-0}}</ref>