They were part of the Columbian Exchange as well as being disseminated by many other large trade routes. Potatoes became widespread and then turned into a necessity for the people in Europe to survive. Potatoes created a more nutritional diet as well as creating jobs and population booms everywhere the plant was grown.
Why are potatoes important to cultures?
A good source of fiber and potassium, the nutrient-rich potato's influence on booming agriculture and role in a healthier human population and the growing labor force was a key factor in the West's global dominion. Boost immunity with sweet potatoes.
How did potatoes change the world?
More than that, as the historian William H. McNeill has argued, the potato led to empire: “By feeding rapidly growing populations, [it] permitted a handful of European nations to assert dominion over most of the world between 1750 and 1950.” The potato, in other words, fueled the rise of the West.
What impact did potatoes have?
Highly nutritious potatoes also helped mitigate the effects of such diseases as scurvy, tuberculosis, measles and dysentery. The higher birth rates and lower mortality rates potatoes encouraged led to a tremendous population explosion wherever the potato traveled, particularly in Europe, the US and the British Empire.
What are potatoes so important in many cultures?
They become valuable to some peoples because they are able to grow in geographical locations or in weather situations that would cause other crops to fail. They are also incredibly nutritious, providing all that is necessary for survival.
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