for - history - French and American Revolution - the role of coffee houses during the Enlightenment

summary - Coffee has a fascinating history - The relationship between coffee and alcohol was interesting - In Muslim culture, coffee houses began appearing in the Ottoman Empire because alcohol was forbidden for Muslims - The coffeehouses spread from the Ottoman Empire to Europe where it replaced the daily ritual of drinking beer - People in London did not drink the polluted Thames because it was so unhygienic that they could catch cholera - Alcohol had its side effects however, of making everyone drowsy. When the Industrial Revolution appeared, this drowsiness could lead to terrible industrial accidents - Coffee was the perfect replacement. Some speculate that it made the Industrial Revolution possible - Coffee houses began to spring up in London. Like in the Ottoman Empire, they were frowned upon by elites because this ability for all types of people to gather for the first time was perceived as a threat to political stability - Among the ideas born in coffee houses and cafes: - French Revolution - Storming of the Bastille j - Enlightenment intellectuals met here - American Revolution - Sons of Liberty met and planned the American Revolution - Benjamin Franklin frequented - Lloyds of London was conceived of - The idea of the Newspaper started due to notes of ideas exchanged and communicated in different columns of notes recorded - Famous scientists met there like Isaac Newton - London Stock Exchange was conceived of here