Question

"When the princes of Europe went gospel in hand, to lay waste Asia, they brought back the plague, the leprosy and the small-pox, but nature showed to a dervish the coffee tree in the mountains of Yemen, and at the moment when nature brought curses on us through the crusaders, it brought delights to us through the cup of a Mohammedan monk. The descendants of those princes took possession of America, and transmitted to us by this conquest, an inexhaustible succession of wars and maladies. While they were exterminating the inhabitants of America with cannon, a Carib invited sailors to smoke his calumet as a signal of peace. The perfume of the tobacco vanquished their torments and their troubles, and the use of tobacco was spread all over the earth. While the afflictions of the two worlds came from artillery, which kings call their last resort, the consolations of civilized nations flowed from the pipe of a savage."

a. Coffee
b. Plague
c. Crusaders
d. Tobacco

Answer 1

Tobacco was discovered by Europeans in 1492 in the New World and, despite initial resistance due to its perceived negative associations, it became popularized in Europe by the late 16th century, with Virginia's profitable tobacco crops influencing the economy. Simultaneously, coffee, having an Ethiopian origin and popularized by the Arabs, became a favorite social beverage in Europe, facilitated by the spread of coffeehouses.

Step-by-step explanation:

The spread of tobacco is closely linked to the historical events and exchanges between the New World and Europe. After its discovery in 1492, tobacco was initially associated with the native customs and was introduced to Europe by explorers like Christopher Columbus and Sir Walter Raleigh. Despite some early resistance and negative stigma, by the late 16th century, tobacco use had spread throughout Europe and became more widely accepted, even ascribed medicinal properties. King James I of England's description of tobacco as a 'noxious weed' speaks to the complex reception of the plant in Europe. It became a global commodity in the 1590s and was key in burgeoning trade relations and the European economy, with Virginia's tobacco crop fetching high prices and broadening trade.

Coffee also followed a remarkable journey. Emerging from Ethiopia and cultivated by Arabs, it spread to the Ottoman Empire, gained popularity in Istanbul's coffeehouses in the 1550s, and subsequently made its way to Europe. ‘Coffee’ comes from the Arabic 'qahwa' and represents a different aspect of cultural exchange, one that brought about a new social pastime that accompanied the introduction of coffeehouses in major European cities.