“HOW THE POTATO CHANGED THE WORLD’S HISTORY.”

“HOW THE POTATO CHANGED THE WORLD’S HISTORY.” The title of Professor Mcneill’s essay is “How the Potato Changed the World’s History.” He argues that potatoes twice made a critical difference in world history. First, they were the principal energy source for the Inca Empire. Second, “…in northern Europe, … by feeding rapidly growing populations, [potatoes] permitted a handful of European nations to assert dominion over most of the world between 1750 and 1950.” Because potatoes yielded two to four times as many calories as grain did, populations increased. There were more laborers to work and more soldiers to fight.