Which Plant Has Had The Greatest Impact On World History?

The argument can go on and on regarding which plant has had the greatest impact on world history.  While personally, my biased answer is tobacco because it basically founded and developed America, I will discuss how grains (barley, wheat, and other cereals) had one of the greatest impacts on world history, and still have a humongous impact on history to this day.

Grains are without a doubt one of the most essential food crops on this planet.  They provide a support or “staff” of life for the majority of individuals on Earth.  Historically, cereal grains have fueled the growth of civilization, and as societal development and population continue to grow, the world’s dependence on grains is inevitable.

            

The importance of the Neolithic Revolution is monumental.  It marks a turning point for humanity where the domestication of plants (grains) and animals led to a change in everyday lifestyle from nomads and hunter gatherers to farmers and villages.  The domestication of these cereal grains (paired with the domestication of animals) allowed people to provide more food for themselves, leading to an increase in population, where people began living closer together, increasing communication and building society.  As society developed, new ideas led to greater efficiency, leading to larger populations, more buildings, writing, currency, governments and so on.

            

From the domestication of grain came the inadvertent creation of beer, which apparently where barley in a pot combined with rainwater and wild yeast yielded this fine drink.  The importance of beer was humongous as well; hundreds of years later when people started to boil and brew beer in Mesopotamia it was actually very important because it was a safe alternative to dirty water.

            

To conclude, the importance of grain leading to the domestication of plants and animals and the Neolithic Revolution was a vital part in human history.  Without grains and the Agricultural Revolution, civilization would not be where we are today.

Check this site out! http://studymagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Beer-Making-Programs.jpg

Photo Sources: http://genesisgroup.weebly.com/uploads/4/0/2/9/4029310/3458986.jpg?332

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The Lasting Legacy of the EIC

There are few companies in history that were as powerful and prominent as the British East India Company (EIC).  The company name was officially established in 1600 and was made up of London merchants who initially wanted to capitalize on the opportunity to import spices from Southern Asia.  What unfolds over the next hundreds of years is a tale of trade and exploration, in hopes to achieve wealth and expansion through trade commodities like cotton, spice, tea and opium.  This group of merchants crafted a business that vastly exceeded their highest expectations, connecting foreign markets and uniting people from different cultures to help grow and maintain the British Empire.

While the spice trade initially brought in capital and was the primary commodity for the growth and expansion of the EIC, but both cotton and tea soon after became necessities for the British and were essential in foreign trade.  The EIC became so successful, and had so much power, that it basically took control of India where they signed a treaty gaining exclusive rights to live there and build factories, exploiting cheap labor and fertile soil.  While at first the company would purchase Indian silks, they now had control of their own factories, thus generating a monopoly over Cotton sales and trade, where they would grow and cultivate the cotton and export it back to England.   

Trade with China: China tried to keep the Tea Plant a secret, where they completely controlled the tea market.  In 1684, the EIC gained permission to trade with China, importing tea to England where it soon spread like wildfire.  The demand for tea in England was enormous.  By 1750 annual tea imports reached a breathtaking amount of 4,727,992 lbs (tea.co.uk).  However, with China still keeping tea a secret, they had strict trade stipulations where they would only accept silver or gold as a payment.  In search for a substitute for silver or gold, the EIC began to exploit the Chinese demand for opium, selling the plant/drug to private merchants directly for silver.  The EIC shortly thereafter established a monopoly on opium and trade with merchants for silver so that they could purchase tea.  While it may not be seen completely legal, it was an extremely smart business strategy to exploit Chinese addiction to opium and generate profit by indirectly selling opium to China.  Subsequently, the EIC wanted to cut off the middleman and sell opium directly to China, which created enormous conflict leading to two opium wars.  

With help from Robert Fortune, the EIC was able to bring tea seeds back to India where they began to plant and cultivate tea on their own.  From this, they no longer had to depend on China for trade.  The company dissolved in 1874, with the East India Stock Dividend Redemption Act of 1873, but their legacy will live in forever.  The EIC was a pivotal business in history, bringing people together, merging cultures, funding exploration to new worlds, and generating mass amounts of capital.

Check this site out for more information on the EIC!

http://www.tea.co.uk/east-india-company

Links to Photos: http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100827144419/pirates/images/3/38/Logo_eitc_emblem.jpg

http://www.portcities.org.uk/london/upload/img_400/H5964.jpg

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