| U.S. History: Coffee and Politics | | | | were done over hot cupsof coffee...in |
| For such a young country,the United States has a | | | | coffeehouses. |
| powerfulhistory and a great deal to offer to the | | | | Between 1846 and 1848, soldiers who went to |
| world. Some ofthis history is rather unique, | | | | the front linesin the Mexican-American War |
| however. For example,coffee, and not just tea, | | | | brought along coffee withthem, which they |
| has played a sizeable role insome of the most | | | | cherished as their most valuablecommodity. No |
| important events in our history, longbefore the | | | | matter what they might have to face, theywere |
| founding fathers signed the Declaration of | | | | comforted by the fact that they would either |
| Independence. | | | | have ahot cup of coffee to look forward to, or |
| Of course, we learned about the Boston Tea | | | | could use thecoffee as a valuable tool for trading. |
| Party in our | | | | Civil War afficcionados always seem to have |
| American History courses. This pivotal event took | | | | some new bit oftrivia about that war, its |
| place in | | | | complicated battles and thebrave troops who |
| 1773, and the history books tell us it happened | | | | fought them. Historians go on about aparticular |
| because | | | | battle strategy, or a notable figure. They |
| America demanded its freedom from English rule. | | | | havemade movies out of the diaries of soldiers |
| Englandmade a lot money off its American colony | | | | that were foundafter this war. We often see |
| to give herindependence, and continued to impose | | | | pictures of tents, withsoldiers sitting around the |
| harsh taxes ontea and other products that came | | | | campfire at night, cleaningtheir weapons or writing |
| into American ports. Theleaders of the American | | | | letters to loved ones at home. Wedon't know too |
| Revolution used this as a rallyingpoint to destroy | | | | much about their food rations, though, dowe? The |
| all of the tea which was on the ships in | | | | fact is that the primary ration in the Civil War |
| Boston Harbor, resulting in the Boston Tea Party. | | | | Soldier's daily food allowance was coffee beans. |
| What youprobably didn't read in the history books | | | | All we talked about in American in 1969 was the |
| is that, as anact of rebellion and their wish for | | | | successfulmoon landing of Apollo 11. We still |
| freedom from the | | | | remember this historicevent and can even still |
| British, Americans began drinking coffee instead of | | | | picture Neil Armstrong and Buzz |
| tea. | | | | Aldrin landing, walking on the moon, planting the |
| Coffee became our national beverage because of | | | | Americanflag and even playing a game of golf. |
| this event. | | | | What was the firstmeal those astronauts had on |
| During the Revolution, America was a hotbed of | | | | the moon? You didn't see thatthe first meal was |
| unrest andwas already experiencing growing pains. | | | | accompanied by coffee, thereby makingit the first |
| The foundingfathers had a great deal to consider | | | | drink to be drunk the surface of the moon. |
| when planning andexecuting the country's | | | | Its high level of caffeine and the other faults it |
| Constitution. As a result, anumber of what we | | | | has havenot prevented coffee from being one of |
| would view today as "power meetings"needed to | | | | the most popular hotbeverages in the United |
| take place in order to iron out the specifics ofthis | | | | States. Even though coffee has beengiven a lot |
| historic document. Well in advance of its signing on | | | | of negative hype recently,according to |
| September 17, 1787, all of the meetings that | | | | Americanhistory, coffee drinkers can now be |
| were held toform America's national strategies | | | | pround that they are inthe very best of company. |