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Cultural importance of potatoes
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The introduction of the potato to the Old World increased the population in Europe. This is due to the fact that potatoes have a great source of calories, vitamins and fatty acids. As the quality and quantity of food went up so did the population. Potatoes were met with resistance in many places in Europe. The rulers of most country recognized the potato's beneficial nutrients and slowly the potato was integrated into Europeans diet. Some historians argue that potatoes were adopted by Europe because of the growing population rather than the idea potatoes helped the populations increase. Potatoes are the reason populations in Europe increased because of the surplus of nutrients the new crop provided. When Columbus first brought over potatoes
Along with an exuberance of gold and silver, plants such as corn, tobacco, potatoes, tomatoes, chocolate, sugar, and myriad other fruits and vegetables were introduced into European diets. The humble potato was especially adopted by the Irish; Tomatoes, the Spanish; and tobacco, the entire world. Due to the increased food supply, the European population exploded and necessitated the subsequent settlement of the ‘New World’.
Over the course of barely a century, the population was approximately 0.4 percent of what it had been. As Document 2 also shows, disease played a role in the deterioration of the American population. In the artistic depiction, we see several natives afflicted with the disease smallpox. Smallpox was just one of the deadly diseases introduced to the indigenous peoples of America whom had no immunities to any Old World pathogens. It swept through and decimated entire cultures, and the natives dubbed it the “Great Dying.” Looking at the Europeans, their population was barely punctured by New World diseases, and instead, they experience tremendous population growth due to their interactions. In Document 3, it explains the result of the agricultural change of the Columbian Exchange and how American crops revolutionized diets and allowed people to work harder because they were well fed. In Europe, the foodstuffs of America were incredibly valuable- especially the carbohydrate-rich foods like potatoes and corns that helped Europe overcome famine and supported population growth. Document 3 also tells that potatoes were very
In the 15th century there were three dominant nations in the world, China, Islam, and Europe. All three were strong powerful countries that battled for the greatest and the best. But one question that seams to puzzle people is: why did the Europeans discover America before Islam and China? What was it about them that lead them to discover the Americas before any one else? There are many reasons that caused them to be there, but with the discovery of the Americas came some consequences.
There are several circumstances to take into consideration when looking at the causes of the Great Potato Famine in Ireland. Due to the great dependence the Irish people had on the potato, it is clear how blight could devastate a country and its people. To understand the Irish people's dependence on the potato for diet, income, and a way out of poverty, it is necessary to look at several key factors that were evident before the famine. Factors such farming as the only way of life, rise in population, and limited crops explain why the people of Ireland relied on the potato. But not only do these reasons clarify why the famine hit the Irish people so hard, other important factors play into effect as well. By looking at the weak relationship between England and Ireland through parliamentary acts and trade laws, it is more evident what the causes of the Great Famine are and why it was so detrimental.
Many Europeans brought diseases like small pox, measles, chicken pox, and influenza to the Americas by means of cattle. Because the natives of the Americas had never been exposed to cattle and other carrier animals, they had not developed immunity and were therefore infected and killed by the diseases. This caused a major plummet in population and also resulted in the need for African slaves, because the natives had previously been enslaved to Europeans living in the New World. Europe, in contrast to the Americas, experienced a large augmentation in population. This is because of the newly imported crops from the Americas. Specific crops were exceptionally important in certain areas of Europe like the potato in Ireland and the tomato in Italy. Because of this upsurge in population, many Europeans moved to the
The lasting impact of the Columbian Exchange on both American and European demographics was surprisingly similar, mainly due to the exchange of resources. Probably the most significant resource exchange was in foodstuffs, with many American crops travelling to Europe while European livestock was brought to the Americas. In the Americas, food-providing crops were relatively abundant, with products such as potatoes, maize, and beans readily available and able to grow in poor soil.. This contrasted sharply with
For instance, the human population trebled from about 1000-1350 and main reason is due to migrations (Davis, 245). Civilizations such as Vikings, Saracen, and Magyar migrated to Northern Europe and France (Davis, 250). Hence, the area of northern Europe and France was open and deserted and fully of resources such as food, animals and spaces (Davis, 250). Therefore, due to the affluent of quantity resources, this cause an attraction and driven a massive of people and civilizations to migrated in northern Europe and France. As results, there were increases and spread of population rapidly that filled the spaces and by 1300-1350 Europe was closed and the frontier was gone (Davis, 250). Furthermore, the drastic increased of human population in northern Europe and France led into a crisis of an economic and agricultural causing drought and poverty. Reason being there was a limitation and regulation. Limitation at some level of scarcity of one or more resources such as food, transport or space and regulation that brings the population to the limits set by the environment (Davis, 249). The increase of human populations totally occupied the deserted space and demands a higher quantity of food supply, in which creating a limitation and regulation in the population. For example, the pressure for land resulted in restriction of the use of forests, decrease in the size of the farms,
The new world hd an abundance of new richs soil , and crops which those from the Old World took advantage . The trade between foods from the old world and new world changed the culture and economy of both worlds . Important crops included sugarcane , potatoes , and corn . These crops were in high demands , and needs people t cultivate them , leading to plantations for people to unwillingly work for no benefits to meet the demands of those who wanted these crops.Corn among these popular crops, was
...Irish and British people had bitter feelings towards one another. Many Irish were angry the English government did next to nothing to prevent the famine. Then when it happened the government turned their heads. The anger caused a rebellion in 1848 by a group called the Young Ireland party, saying Ireland wanted its own government (Results of the Great Famine, 2014).
there would be no flow of water into or out of the cell so the cell
One of the most successfully crops was traded from the Americas to Europe. Once corn arrived in Europe it was used as animal fodder, but the value of corn as human food proved itself. Corn has been one of the stimulants to population growth in the ‘old’ world. It helped to improve diets by providing much needed nutrition and calories.
Many of the French people were left without homes, food or livestock, they were about to face a harsh winter and were unsure if they had enough seeds to plant crops the following year. The climatic changes that occurred over Europe had drastic consequences for agriculture, resulting in malnutrition which pre-disposed the populace to disease. Inflation increased and famine soon spread across Europe, resulting in many deaths. Around 1339, Europe’s population began to increase, this growth began to surpass the capacity of the land to feed its populace. Therefore, a severe economic crisis began to emerge....
However, what he found was not the East Indies but instead the West Indies, discovering an abundance of natural resources and new land. Columbus had paved the way for the colonization of America, not only for the English but for the French, Spanish, and Portuguese as well. This led to the establishment of trans-Atlantic connections, such as the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and many other trade routes, most of which are still used today. The world now had the final piece to begin a full-scale global trading economy. With the establishment of this new trading option, the exchange of new plants and animals began. Crops such as corn, tomatoes, cotton, tobacco, and potatoes were previously unknown to Europeans. These soon became staple food supplements in the diet of most Europeans, so much that the collapse of the potato crops, The Great Irish Famine in Ireland, caused the population to fall by as much as 25%. Similarly, farm animals such as sheep, pigs, cattle, and horses were introduced into the Americas. The Native Americans’ introduction to horses led to them becoming a large part of their hunting culture. Native Americans would also trade animal fur skins to the Europeans for items like beads or bronze jewelry. Both sides of these trades believed they were getting the better end of the deal thus resulting in a
It created new opportunities to improve the diet and expand the markets which shape every day life in Europe and this was the backdrop to a phenomena which later will be called INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION from 1760 to 1820-40.
During early modern era, from 1650 onwards, there was a sustained growth in the population of Europe. Between 1660 and 1800, the population of Europe almost doubled, increasing from a level of 100 million in 1660 to 187 million by 1800. The sources which can inform us of this population increase include censuses, parish registers, and legal documents such as wills, amongst a number of other things. Although recently historians have focussed on areas such as birth rates, marriage rates, and the age of marriage as an explanation for this substantial demographic growth, this essay will focus on the falling death rates as a driving force behind the ever increasing European population during the early modern period. At the start of the period under question, the situation for the population was dire. Life expectancy was low, with the average male and female life expectancies amongst the privileged nobility being 28 and 34 years respectively, and with one fifth of English children dying within their first year of life. Famine was also prevalent, as well as diseases such as the plague and smallpox. However, throughout the early modern period, these hinderances on population growth began to be gradually removed, thus leading to an overall decline in death rates, which in turn facilitated a natural increase in the population of Europe. These factors included agricultural improvement, new foods from recently discovered lands such as the Americas, the disappearance of the plague, and medical advances. Therefore, these changes allowed the population to become much healthier, thus causing an increase in life expectancy, allowing other factors such as marriage rates and birth rates to further contribute to the population increase.