2. Asia had many precious exports (silk, porcelain, various spices) Large systems of trade routes allowed maximum gains When Asia Was the World Economy
3. The Economic Culture of Drugs Drugs are a high valued commodity for trading Coffee, tea, tobacco, opium, coca, and various alcohols were used by both the rich and the poor When governments try and regulate drugs, it usually becomes and economic strain
4. The Aztec civilization had many goods that were unique to the area (turquoise, chocolate, jaguar pelts, rubber) The conquistadors were “astounded” at the Aztecs vast market in the capital The Aztec traders transported goods over 2,000 miles throughout the mountainous terrain Aztec Traders
5. Originating from the Peruvian Andes, potatoes that had many beneficial features They grow at high altitude, and withstand bitter cold Have high nutritional value Do not require a lot of work to harvest/care for They are easy to store, low rate of crop failure Potatoes became a main staple in the diet of Europeans, especially in Ireland Potatoes
6. Before sugar, there was honey for sweetener, and that was hard to find Sugar was introduced to Brazil by the Portuguese and the sugar trade prospered Slaves were sent to work the sugar plantations Slaves were a vital part of the sugar trade, but they were treated very poorly to say the least Sweet Revolutions
7. Another one of the great American crops was tobacco Valued by Native and visitor alike Sailors liked the herb so much they brought it back to their respective homelands After that it was a trading commodity Where There's Smoke . . .
8. Native to Ethiopia, coffee was probably first made into a drink around 1400 Europeans were slow to adopt coffee because it was a Muslim drink and therefore viewed as heretical It was only grown in one area before the 1690’s Eventually Europeans grew fond of coffee and the crop was spread all around the globe Mocca Is Not Chocolate
9. Cocoa beans have been consumed since the time of Christ Cocoa beans were so precious to the natives that they were used as currency Early usage matched drinking chocolate with chili peppers It was a beverage of the social elite It was considered as a hallucinogenic, stimulant, intoxicant, and an aphrodesiac. Chocolate
