Talha Sial 4/25/18

1. European got coffee by smuggling coffee beans in from the Arab Port of Mocha when they
visited. From there, the popularity of coffee had spread to Italy, France and Indonesia. British
travelers observed Muslim coffee houses in Cairo and Palestine and brought the idea back to
Europe. Coffee started in Yemen and spread to North Africa and Middle East (thru trade; better
alternative than alcohol. In the text it states ““Until the end of the seventeenth century, Arabia
was unchallenged as a supplier of coffee to the world.” [pg. 146] This quote shows where the
Europeans got coffee because the Arabs invented it and supplied it. . It had spread to Europe
through, stealing the essential ingredients of coffee from the Arabs. In the text it states “Dutch
sailors purloined cuttings from Arab coffee trees, which were taken to Amsterdam and
successfully cultivated in greenhouses.” [pg. 147] This quote shows that the Europeans began to
worry that they would become dependent on the Arabs for coffee, so they began to steal from
their coffee trees so they may also cultivate and make coffee in Europe too.

2. European development can literally be credited to coffee, the preferred drink. As coffees

popularity spread throughout Europe, coffee houses sprung up everywhere, providing a place for

people to get together and discuss the latest news while they drank. These coffee houses became

centers for improvement as their news and discussions lead to advances and revolutions such as

financial and scientific revolution in London, and the French Revolution in France. It was

important to Europe's development that many peoples beverage of choice switched from alcohol

to coffee because drinking coffee was more mature than drinking wine and it was more

appropriate. In the text it states “Coffee had come to worldwide prominence as an alternative to

alcohol, chiefly favored by intellectuals and businessman...In doing so, coffee houses provided

an entirely new environment for social, intellectual, commercial, and political exchange.”

[pg.150] this quote shows how that coffee was more acceptable to people of higher status such as

businessman then alcohol, because of the intoxication in alcohol. As business and trade was

discussed through coffee, the development of Europe could expand and become more modern. In

the text it states “Coffee houses were centers of self-education, literary and philosophical
speculation, commercial Innovation, and, in some cases, political fermentation…. Collectively,

Europe's coffee houses functioned as the internet of the Age of Reason.” [pg. 157] This quote

shows why it was so important to Europe’s development that many people’s beverage of choice

switched from alcohol to coffee because many people could interact and share their ideas

through coffee more clearly and more straightforward than being intoxicated by alcohol.

3. Coffee’s effect on the global balance of power is that coffee popularity spread through Europe

which became a product of high demand which only had few suppliers and the countries who

grew and exported coffee had major economic advantage over those who did not. Coffee began

to be high in demand, so that meant more money for the sellers. In the text it states “Within a

few years, Java Coffee shipped directly to Rotterdam had granted the Dutch control of the coffee

market. Arabian coffee was unable to compete on price…” [pg.147] this quote shows coffee’s

effect on the global balance of power and how the Dutch also began to sell coffee beans, they

offered a more higher amount of price than the Arabs, which meant more profit for them since

there was a high demand for coffee beans. In the text it states “Coffee exports to France began in

1730, and production so exceeded domestic demand that the French begin shipping the excess

coffee from Marseilles to the Levant. Once again, Arabian coffee found it difficult to compete.”

[pg. 149] This quote also shows coffee’s effect on the global balance of power and how that

demand for coffee began to increase, which made the French make more profit from the coffee

trade.

4. Coffee played a pivotal role in the scientific revolution because coffee helped to inspire the
scientific revolution. Coffee houses had been opened at colleges such as Oxford, and scientists
often met there to exchange their ideas and theories with colleagues and other scientist. These
ideas and theories were then discussed at other coffee houses in order to critique and improve
them. It was because of a coffeehouse discussion that Newton decided to prove how the planets
use gravity to stay in orbit, and the basis of his book philosophia naturalis principia mathematics.
Coffee led to discovering a new scientific theory. For example, Hooke shared his scientific
discussions in coffeehouses. In the text it states “On a January evening in 1684, a coffee house
discussion between Hooke, Halley and Wren turned to the theory of gravity, the topic of much
speculation at the time.” [pg. 160] This quote shows how hooke shared his scientific disccusions
which contributed to the scientific revolution and how coffee played a pivotal role in the
scientific revolution. This also shows us the idea of how gravity was first introduced at a coffee
shop. Then, after a debate and difference of opinion on this matter, Wren challenged Hooke and
Halley to prove this theory but they had failed. In the text it states “Halley later recalled that
Wren offered to give Mr. Hook or me 2 months’ time to bring him a convincing
demonstration...neither Halley nor Hooke took up Wrens challenge.” This quote also shows how
coffee played a pivotal role in the scientific revolution. This led Halley to present his idea to
Isaac Newton, who proved this theory and wrote the world’s greatest book in the history of
science. On page 161 it states “For Halley's question had given Newton's the impetus he needed
to formalize the results of many years of work, and to produce one of the greatest books in the
history of science...generally known as the Principia.” This shows us that because of the
discussion of gravity which started in the coffeehouse, the idea of gravity was proven leading to
a new scientific discovery. According to page 161 it states, “With the Principia, Newton at last
provided a new foundation for the physical sciences to replace the discredited theories of the
Greeks.” All these quote shows how coffee played a pivotal role in the scientific revolution.

5. The new drink of coffee, and the shops in the City of London where it was sold became the
furnaces of the financial revolution. Wealthy, influential men met in these coffee shops and
began to trade in stock and shares, and, famously, insurance. Lloyds of London, the World's
largest insurance market, began in Edward Lloyd's coffee shop. Coffee also extended its reach
into the realm of business, sparking the financial revolution. Coffee houses played a major role
in the revolution, they became meeting places, and some form groups that are still seen today as
the Lloyds of London. Lloyds of London is an insurance company the first began and Lloyds
coffee house. The coffee houses such as Jonathans became centers for stock and trade business.
Because of London's financial growth, books and newsletters such as the wealth of Nations,
which advised the best way for the British government to prosper, were being written and coffee
houses, where they heard the news first, and also received the criticism needed for their literacy
work. Stock markets had begun in coffee shops. On page 164 it states “Coffee houses also
functioned as stock markets. In protest, the stockbrokers abandoned the exchange and moved
into the coffee houses in the surrounding streets, and one in particular: Jonathan's, in Exchange
Alley.” This quote shows us that after a law was passed to restrain the number and practice of
Brokers and Stock-jobbers, they began to hold their stock markets in coffee shops. They later
moved from there and decamped to a new building because brokers began to become banned
from entering Jonathans. The new place was later called the stock exchange. This is also shows
us how coffee played an Another quote to prove my claim is on page 165 when it states “This
period of rapid innovation in public and private finance, with the floating of joint-stock
companies, the buying and selling of shares, the development of insurance schemes, and the
public financing of government debt, all the which culminated in London's eventual
displacement of answered and at the world financial center is known today as a Financial
Revolution.” This quote also shows how coffee played a pivotal role in the financial reovultion
and how that since the beginning of stock markets was held in coffee shops, coffeehouse played
an essential role in the upbringing of a financial revolution.