Workers in the saltpeter industry experienced grueling conditions. Many were enticed by companies promising payment for travel, only to encounter harsh and dangerous working environments.
Charles Darwin's 1835 assessment of Chile's saltpeter was dismissive, as he noted the product was sodium nitrate and less valuable compared to potassium nitrate used in gunpowder.
Technological advancements in the mid-1800s led to the industrialization of sodium nitrate extraction, allowing Tarapacá to become the world's largest supplier by 1870.
The unique geology of Chile's Atacama Desert, coupled with favorable chemical interactions, preserved vast sodium nitrate deposits, essential for the booming saltpeter industry.
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