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Columbian Exchange: Potatoes
3
Camila Saravia-Varela
P.3
Potatoes
Origins
Potatoes originated in the southern Andes: in Peru, the Incas were the first to cultivate potatoes around 8,000 BC on the shores of Lake Titicaca. In 1536, Francisco Pizarro conquered Peru, bringing potatoes to Europe. Spain farmed potatoes along the Biscay coast of Northern Spain. Sir Walter Raleigh would later introduce potatoes to Ireland in 1589. After this, it took about four decades to spread throughout Europe.
During 1588-1593, people in the British Isles had potatoes. British traders would later introduce potatoes to Bengal, and by the end of the 18th century, they were cultivated across India. Potatoes were introduced to Tibet during the 19th century through trade with India. The potato entered Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Holland, France, Switzerland, England, Germany, Portugal, and Ireland around the 1600s. Until the 1850s, potatoes were not widely cultivated in Russia.
Spread
Profit
When the potato first arrived in Europe, it was not accepted widely. During the early 17th centuries potatoes were rarely eaten by humans and used as animal food. The reason potatoes were not profitable until the 18th century was because many Europeans were suspicious of their origins. Europeans felt that potatoes were food for the conquered, and many believed that since potatoes were not mentioned in the Bible, God did not want them to eat potatoes. Although many people were starving, the stigma of potatoes had left many people too embarrassed to eat them. Potatoes are considered staple crops because they were a main food source that helped increase global populations.
The Incas, as well as England, France, Hungary, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, India, and Portugal, profited from the trade of potatoes. Potatoes helped these countries out of famine and created more jobs and more nutritional diets. Everywhere potatoes grew, their populations would boom.
Profiting
Impact
In Spain, they granted legal rights of native laborers to conquistadors, otherwise known as the encomienda system. The conquistadors must prove themselves to the crown to receive these rewards. Natives were forced into labor. Potato farming was labor-intensive, they had to dig up the potatoes by hand as well as store and transport potatoes. In Northern Europe, potatoes were grown in botanical gardens as an exotic novelty.
Potatoes were staple crops in Ireland (1840)
Potatoes reached China (17th century)
Europeans planted potatoes in North America (18th century)
Map
Spread through Europe in (17th and 18th century) this is where it became an important staple crop.
Andes Peru
British traders and portuguese ships brought potatoes to India in (17th century)
Spanish conquerors took the potatoes out of curiosity during (1588-1593)
Dutch traders introduced potatoes to South Africa (17th century)
Captain James Cook, carried potatoes on his ship (1770)
In 1589, Sir Walter Raleigh introduced potatoes to Ireland. Potatoes found good conditions in Ireland due to their cool falls, giving them enough time to mature. Villagers saw the potato as a prize because of their nutritional yield per hectare; this caused an increase in population now that they had enough food to feed themselves and their families.
Ex: 1
Ex: 2
Due to the widespread cultivation of the potato, all groups, not just the poor, ate potatoes. Many people saw potatoes as conquered food and or "the devil's apples" and refused to eat them. Increased famines in France during 1693-1710 led many government officials to promote potatoes and their widespread cultivations.
Environmental Impact
The potato was a success in Ireland. Demand for potatoes created jobs, the population was well fed, causing population growth, but due to mono-cropping weakening the potatoes, a widespread famine occurred. Ireland's reliance on potatoes left them unprepared and caused many people to die. Potatoes also fueled the rise of the west due to the increasing population from the hardy vegetables.
Sources
https://project.geo.msu.edu/geogmich
https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.671.5513&rep=rep1&type=pdf
https://www.history-magazine.com/potato.html
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/how-the-potato-changed-the-world-108470605/
http://bilinguesauces.blogspot.com/2010/04/spread-of-potato.html
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20200302-the-true-origins-of-the-humble-potato
https://www.potatogoodness.com/potato-fun-facts-history/#:~:text=Sir%20Walter%20Raleigh%20introduced%20potatoes,such%20as%20wheat%20and%20oats
https://www.historyireland.com/early-modern-history-1500-1700/the-introduction-of-the-potato-into-ireland/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_potato
Causes of the Columbian Exchange
Because Columbus wanted to find new trade routes, he stumbled upon the Americas. He shipped new crops to Europe and brought animals such as horses and pigs to the Americas. Not only did Columbus trade animals and crops, but the Europeans traded diseases along with ideas and religion (well, more like forced their religions)