The Devil’s CupCoffee: The Driving Force In History

By: Mackenzie HemanWritten By: Stewart Lee Allen

Thesis

• Thesis: Coffee is the substance that drives history

– Did coffee have an affect upon world empires and the destiny of mankind?

Road Map

• Middle East & N. Africa– Harrar, Ethiopia al-Makkha, Yemen Red

Sea Ports

• Europe:– Istanbul, TurkeyVienna LondonParis

• Americas:– BrazilBolivia– American Colonies/ United States

Ethiopia:Harrar

• History:– Coffee discovered with Kati (or qat) and Amertassa.

• Plant leaves cooked, then chewed• Can chew qat leaves for a drug-like high

– Created because after being denied tea trade, Arabs try to improvise, find qat leaves

• Coffee Effects:– Used for healing/magical tool/ exorcismmedicine– Used in first religious ceremony for the sky god Waaq by

the Garri: beans added to milkreligion– Addiction > popularity > connectionslave trade

Yemen:al-Makkha/ Mocha

• History:– Coffee brought by slave trade from Africa; slaves intro

Arabia, China, Western Asia to coffee– 1st time coffee brewed/ made into a drink (al-Shadhili)

• Coffee Effects:– Religious cults: Shadhilisreligion

• Spread as far as Spain

– Coffee cultivatedspecialization and trade– Help Islam grow/spreadIslam=dominant religion

India

• History– 1st non Muslim nation to actually grow coffee

• Brought by Baba Buden

• Coffee Effects:– Coffee moves from religion to conspiracies by cafes

Politics, War

Turkey:Istanbul

• History:– Turks take over Mochaintro coffee to France, Vienna

and Adriatic Coast

– Acceptance by Islamic elitepopularity

• Coffee Effects:– CoffeeCoffee

housesgossipOpinions/Political Uprisings– Used as sexual enhancerbigger

familiesSpecialization and Trade

Germany: Vienna

• History: – Ottoman Turks try to invade Viennamany Viennese

fleePoles attack Ottomans and win• Ottomans leave behind camels with coffee beans1st coffee

house (owned by Kolschitzky)

– Decline of Ottomans=rise of coffee

• Coffee Effects:– Forms and ways to drink coffeeCastes/Classes– Viennese drink coffee with crescent shaped

breadMarie Antoinette marries a FrenchmanFood Trade

Eastern Europe: London & Paris

• History:– London: replaces beer in 1650 as most popular drink– Paris: Napoleon rises with coffee (when given to troops) and

falls when banned

• Coffee Effects:– coffee houses=alternate for tavernsencourage political

debateDemocracy & French Revolution– Coffee house design=like officesJobs– Coffee houses provide area for writers, artists and

scienceNews– Sets off enlightenment=1st dem. revolution

South America:Brazil & Bolivia

• History: – coffee brought by Frenchman De Cleiu in 1717

Coffee Effects:– Coffee grownSlaves & Slave Trade– Brings Ethiopian religions & Zar spirits

Cults

North America1st nation to be born all caffinated

• Coffee Effects:– Coffee houses

• 1st public stock area (Boston Merchant Coffee House)• NY stock exchange (Wall Street Coffee House)• Sociability internet

– Opium Wars, Boston Tea Party, American Revolution• English find no coffee in New World, so drinking coffee=$ for

competitiona tax on coffee in New World

– 1994: coffee= classified with coke on National Drug List (5000 killed by caffeine)

– Increases violence reckless abandonment• Andrew Jackson replaces rum with coffee for soldiers of N

– North= caffinated South= uncaffinated

Suppression of Coffee

• Mecca: 1511 by the Islamic faithbanned in Mecca until 1600s– It was an intoxicant, way served (hand to hand), carbonized (all

illegal under the Koran)

• London: late 1670s women petition to ban coffee because actually hurts reproduction

• London: 1600s by Puritans• Istanbul: 1633 by Murad IV

– It provided subjects with a place to meet and soberly/intelligently discuss politicspeople beheadedtraders leave and trade with Europe

Summary

• In conclusion, coffee was able to affect politics, religion, government, cultural exchange, and the expansion of the strongest empire in world history.

• Arabs and Islam flourish with coffee (a way to the mind of God), Ottomans are most powerful when coffee was at it’s peek, jump start Great Britain's need for power rise of the West, and the United States used it as the drive to be the best

Coffee DID HAVE

an effect on history