Planting the seeds of history…

As botanists will tell you, plants are sneaky creatures. They use animals to perpetuate themselves. You don't believe us? Think about it. It's Saturday morning. Where is Dad? Inside, enjoying a well-earned rest? Out at the ballpark? No. He is mowing the lawn. That sly grass has got him working for it. 'Nuff said.

Plants have changed history, too. Many times. Do you remember these earth-shattering events? Match them with their descriptions.

1. The Biblical story of Cain and Abel may be based on this world-changing agricultural shift.
2. When Columbus 'discovered' America, he was really looking for a way to beat the Portuguese to this.
3. This game-changer is why Europeans have tomatoes in their salads.
4. This event crashed the economy of the Netherlands.
5. This frenzy made Englishmen rich, taverns polluted, and King James really annoyed.
6. These people only wanted a place to plant their own food.
7. How the King of Prussia got his peasants to plant tubers.
8. This phenomenon caused the spread of slavery and eventually, 600,000 deaths.
9. Overfarming + drought + tornados = … (The refugees ended up in California.)
10. Some say it's the future. Others call it the source of 'Frankenfood'.

Answer choices:

Dust Bowl, Transgenic Revolution, Digger Movement, Tulip Bubble, Jamestown Tobacco Boom, Neolithic Revolution, Columbian Exchange, Kartoffelbefehl, King Cotton, Spice Road.

Want to check your historical plant knowledge? Click on the picture below.

Dmitri Gheorgheni

26.05.14 Front Page

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