Short Essay: Standage Continuity And Change

Beer was existent in a time where there was a great increase in social intricacy because of the creation of cities from the settling of humanity after its practice of being nomadic.

History has a funny way of finding significance in what we think to be some of the more common or arbitrary things. We look for great historical events from leaders, wars, peace, and death. But what about the smaller, simpler things in life, ones that we so often ignore. It is those things that have shaped our history, from the beginning of time even until today. To truly understand history we must look at something many of us think nothing of, what we drink. What we drink is such an important part of how we live, how we act, and how we have changed as humans.

Each drink has changed the world in many ways (good or bad). Starting with beer, beer steered people out of the hunting and gathering way of life into the agricultural lifestyle. People grew grains in order to make beer, but eventually in gave the people the idea that can also grow more crops instead of just grain. "Beer drinking was one of the many factors that helped tip the balance away from hunting and gathering and towards farming and sedentary lifestyle based on small settlements". Beer was also safer to drink than water because water was mostly contaminated. In the Stone Age, beer became the main drink, and it is still a popular drink today.

There are many things that shape the course of history. Powerful rulers, deadly diseases, and influential religions are a few common examples of these. But, one group of influential commodities to shape history that not many people consider is beverages. In particular, beer, wine, spirits, tea, coffee, and cola are six that have significantly shaped the course of history. The nonfiction book, A History of the World in 6 Glasses, written by Tom Standage, discusses the significance of these six popular drinks in relation to human culture shaping around their existence.

The domestication of drink did allow women to integrate into the drinking culture of America and allowed women to join the drinking population if they choose to drink. Murdock was correct in saying that the exclusivity of the all male saloon culture crumbled in the nineteen teens and onwards into the twenties, thirties, and forties. One of the most important transitions was that alcohol became far more prevalent in the household setting (165). The rise of cocktail parties gave women an opportunity to drink that was “softened-feminized enough to remove its most

Have you ever remembered the time people against the consumption of alcoholic beverages? It was the temperance movement which began in the early 19th century in order to reduce drunkenness. Nevertheless, the temperance movement promoted government to make the prohibition in the society. Citizens were not allowed to drink the alcohol and banned the alcoholic affected America to maintain their social harmony. Moreover, citizens especially the drinkers’ children developed more slowly and they were more liable to the accident so that the temperance movement can easily educate the alcoholics. For these reasons, the temperance movement should be justified as the most influential event in the U.S. History.

This is where the desire for prohibition stemmed from. Alcoholic consumption was seen as the cause of much relaxation in social conventions, as it was the supporting cast for so much that made the time period "roar." The growth of organized

In the early 1810’s whiskey became the most popular American drink because it was cheaper than milk and beer. A man named Lyman Beecher influences a movement entitled “Temperance movement.” This movement is when Americans needed to use alcoholic beverages in moderation or give it up completely. This movement has a great impact on the American social development because liquor was served as a “table beverage” meaning people would usually have liquor with their meals. This also impacted America’s social development because, with the Temperance, Act Americans had to find another way to hydrate themselves because the water is usually contaminated during this time period so the American people wouldn’t be able to drink it. Many Americans found this movement difficult because they had to resist temptation and build self-control.

Is it strange that cereal grains go from bland to exciting and favorable to use in everyday life by one invention: beer. The cereal grains was turned not boring by adding only two things: water and time. The Egyptians' love for beer faltered since they made at least seventeen types of beer. Neither did the Mesopotamians' excitement, since they made over twenty types of beer. Also in Mesopotamia, they had government storehouses that hold beer-bread named bappir to keep for making beer or to use during food shortages. When people were passionate about something they dwell on it and that is what the Mesopotamians and Egyptians showed. The hype for beer did not end there since it became a symbol of friendship. The most important thing, that beer might have done to the Egyptians, Sumerians, Incas and China was to be used in religious offerings like funerals since it was a gift from gods. In my opinion, beer most been good, since they considered highly to be given to their gods. Then, beer turned socially acceptable after all the Sumerians started making stories about people turning human when eating bread and drinking beer. That is when beer is started to be use in everyday life instead of once a while because beer became a part of their culture. The Mesopotamians invented writing for the purpose of collection and distribution of bread and beer. Which led to inequality because depending on their job, they get a specific amount of beer and bread as payment since it was currency. Beer was important on many levels. It was used for food, religious offerings, stories, and

The history of Americans and alcohol began with the Mayflower. Most long term ships during the 1600’s included a large amount of alcohol because it was more sanitary than water and being on a boat for weeks and also helped pass time (143). During the time of settlement in the Newly discovered America, drinking was connected to religion. “Drink is in itself a good Creature of God, and to be received with thankfulness,” wrote Increase Mather, the famed Puritan preacher, “But the abuse of drinking is from Satan.” (144). Arguably after three centuries of differing opinions, this is how alcohol is perceived today.

Alcohol abuse was a serious problem facing the United States in the early 1800s, and the Temperance Movement resulted in a decrease of alcohol consumption. “In the 1870s, liquor was a rapidly growing $95-million industry with more than 200,000 retail outlets serving the United States. From 1866 to 1873, per capita consumption of beer increased from 4.4 to 7 U.S. gallons and production almost doubled, and distilled spirits were consumed at a rate of over 2 U.S. gallons per person” (Kyvig and Stecker 684). Women and children suffered from the effects of poverty, domestic violence, and broken homes. As a result of this, temperance advocates encouraged their fellow Americans to reduce the amount of alcohol that they consumed.

• 800BCE – Writings began to emerge at this time, which was based on Wine • 600BCE – Wine became a measurement of wealth, measuring wealth by vineyard holdings. • 500BCE – Wine increased trade between nations, which boosted the economy • Wine quickly became a staple drink in Mesopotamia, known as “The Excellent Beer of the Mountain.” (Standage, 47) The Assyrians enjoyed its delicacy, which quickly replaced beer. Wine was also greatly popular in Greece, where large Symposions were held centered around the drink.

I believe that the overall thesis is that drinks influenced history greatly throughout the years, from agriculture, to culture, to wars, to religion, to new discoveries, to new countries, to rebellions. Many world events would not have happened if it were not for the influence of many of these drinks. Beer may have had a major influence in the development of agriculture, which changed the lifestyle of the whole human race. Wine played an important role in Greek and Roman cultures and, through the symposium, led to many important discussions, poetry, and songs. Spirits led to an increase in the slave trade and became very important to the American colonies and helped them create new business opportunities and lower dependency

Beer and wine might have been one of the first drinks that caused humans to civilize and create a great community. In fact Tom Standage introduces us to this idea of these early drinks shaping human culture in his book A History of a World in Six Glasses. As Standage informs us about how beer was one of the causes in early settlement, and why farming was led to a great success because of the use of beer. Standage also mentions a start in traditions and a formation of government due to these drinks. Although beer being very important, Standage also introduces us to wine as a form of a class status that helped man distinguishing barbarism to a world of high standards and manners allowing for the community to become more cultured and

The overall thesis of the book is although drinks don’t seem to affect much but our taste buds, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, and coca-cola, have made a huge impact as these six drinks have contributed for medical reasons, currency, status indicators, and nutrition.