| The history of coffee is long and varied, full of | | | | who introduced coffee to North America. |
| intrigue and excitement. There are a couple of | | | | By 1652, coffee houses started sprouting up in |
| different legends about how coffee was discovered. | | | | England, and became the place for both learned and |
| One says that a shepherd discovered coffee after | | | | the general population to gather. They were dubbed |
| observing his sheep getting very active after eating | | | | penny universities, since everyone talked over their |
| the berries off of certain plants. He tried them, and | | | | cups of coffee, which each cost a penny. In 1674, |
| felt the same boost of energy. The story goes that | | | | the British "Women's Petition Against Coffee" was |
| a passing monk observed this, and scolded the | | | | published, declaring that coffee was depriving them |
| shepherd for eating of the "devil's fruit." The monks | | | | of their husbands and causing impotence. |
| soon found out, however, that the berries would help | | | | The Dutch are responsible for smuggling coffee out |
| them remain awake during prayers. | | | | of Arabia in 1690, and introducing it to Java and |
| Another legend tells the tale of an Arab, banished to | | | | Ceylon. They became the first people to cultivate |
| the desert with his followers. Facing starvation, they | | | | coffee commercially, thus creating what would |
| boiled and ate the berries of a plant they stumbled | | | | become the world's largest agricultural commodity. |
| across. The broth saved the starving exiles, and the | | | | In 1713, the Dutch unwittingly gave King Louis XIV of |
| nearby town, Mocha, took it as a sign from above. | | | | France a coffee plant. In 1723, a French naval officer |
| They called the plant and its drink Mocha, in honor of | | | | stole a cutting, taking it all the way to Martinique. In |
| the town. A short history of coffee is as follows... | | | | fifty years, Martinique was growing over 19 million |
| The coffee plant, Coffea arabica, is native to Ethiopia. | | | | coffee trees. |
| Ancient Ethiopians used the coffee beans rolled in | | | | In 1727, Lieutenant Colonel Francisco de Melo Palheta |
| animal fat as food. From Ethiopia, coffee made its | | | | visited French Guiana, to settle a dispute between |
| way to Yemen, where it was first brewed into a | | | | the French and the Dutch. He and the Governor's |
| beverage. Once coffee was transported to Arabia, | | | | wife became involved, and although the French took |
| however, it was monopolized by the Arabs, who | | | | great care to control its coffee plantations in the |
| forbade the seeds to be exported. Once seeds were | | | | New World, he slipped off with seeds and cuttings |
| smuggled out, however, coffee was spread to India | | | | when he left. His paramour sent him on his way with |
| and Turkey. From there, coffee began to pursue | | | | a bouquet of flowers... concealing the smuggled |
| world domination. | | | | coffee cuttings. He took them to Brazil, who today is |
| By 1600, coffee had been discovered by Italian | | | | the world's largest coffee producing nation. |
| traders. The Pope, urged by his advisors to ban the | | | | And so it continued. Coffee became America's |
| drink as evil, tasted it, and baptized it instead, | | | | patriotic drink after the Boston Tea Party. Coffee |
| introducing coffee to the Christian population. Captain | | | | production has grown exponentially. The history of |
| John Smith brought coffee as part of his supplies to | | | | coffee is like no other... and will probably continue to |
| the New World in 1607, and is thought to be the man | | | | expand. |