For centuries, from foodstuffs to industrial materials, plants have dominated trade between countries. Possession of rare spices, sweets, and narcotics could meand enviable wealth and power, so explorers ventured forth, risking death on unknown seas. Here are stories of seven plants--tobacco, sugar, cotton, tea, poppies, quinine, and rubber--and how Europe's hunger for them led to the Age of Empire and turned world history upside down. Not only did these crops ensure the commercial success of America and Europe, but they became the catalyst foasr piracy, smuggling, addiction, and the slave trade: the darker side of the golden profits. A beautiful presentation of a fascinating subject.
A rich history of discovery and loss, Plants and Empire explores the movement, triumph, and extinction of knowledge in the course of encounters between Europeans and the Caribbean populations.
In The Flower of Empire, Tatiana Holway tells the story of this magnificent lily, revealing how it touched nearly every aspect of Victorian life, art, and culture.
After all, damage to the ozone layer will ultimately affect all life on Earth. Knowledge is the first step to acting towards environmental care. Get this book today!
This is the story of the men who discovered and brought back a wealth of exotic new plants.
Tells the story of the Connecticut Yankee who built an empire of railroads, steamships, communication centers, and luxury hotels from Charleston to Tampa Bay, to Mobile, to Key West, to Cuba.
When Kelvin asked his Dad ¿How do trees grow?¿ To which his dad replied, ¿Do you really want to know?¿In this story, children will learn about the process of photosynthesis and why it is important to life on Earth.
Prepared specifically for gardeners in four northeastern counties of Pennsylvania, Gardener's Guide focuses on the unique forest systems and habitats on and near the glaciated Allegheny Plateau.
Yet he has not received the recognition that his multifarious achievements deserve. In this engaging account, Toby Musgrave reveals the true extent of Banks's contributions to science and Britain.
This book examines how and why British imperial rule shaped scientific knowledge about malaria and its cures in nineteenth-century India. This title is also available as Open Access.
The Botany of Empire in the Long Eighteenth Century brings together international scholars to examine: the figure of the botanical explorer; links between imperial ambition and the impulse to survey, map, and collect specimens in "new" ...