The Effects of Coffee and British Imperialism on the Global Economy Research Paper

The Effects of Coffee and British Imperialism on the Global Economy from 1870 to 1910 - Research Paper Example Towards the mid 19th century, the global economy was substantially influenced by the rapid increase in the consumption of coffee in Europe and the United States and this lead to more developments in the production and trade of coffee. Production growth was not only witnessed across the vast British empire but was also evident in the Latin Americas particularly in Brazil. With the expansion of the British colonies in Africa, Asia as well as in the Pacific and Indian oceans, the British Empire came to dominate the international trade particularly the production and consumption of coffee which was key elements of the 19th century global economy. On the other hand, the ex British colonies such as in the Americas also asserted significant influence on the global economy with regard to the production of raw materials and export industry. The rise of coffee as one of the major commodities of international trade in the 19th century can be traced to the British colonial production of coffee in the Americas, Asia and Africa as well as in the Indian Ocean. The unprecedented production of coffee which was witnessed in these colonies as well the increased demand for coffee in the European countries resulted in the domination of the international market by coffee merchants and traders. The global economy of the time had not however reached the stage of market capi talism. The market size was comparatively smaller and coffee was primarily used as a luxury drink. The small size of the coffee market from 1870 to 1910 was generally attributed to the fact to the inefficient colonial production methods such as the use of coercion as opposed to the application of new technology. By the end of 1910, the British coffee colonialism had significantly declined most probably because many of the colonies gained independence. Coffee continued to play a greater role in the global economy but the role of the British Imperialism was increasingly replaced by the newly independent countries such as Brazil, Caribbean and the Spanish America. This paper focuses on the role of the British imperialism and the coffee trade in the global economy of 19th century particularly from 1870 to 1910. The contributions of the coffee industry to the Global economy of 19th century Although initially regarded as a luxury product, coffee rapidly gained popularity in the mid 19th c entury to become a mass necessity particularly in the United States and the European counties such as Britain, France and Germany2. One of the major factors that contributed to the explosion of the global demand for coffee was the industrial revolution. For example the industrial revolution not only increased the purchasing power of the ordinary persons due to the improved economies but also resulted in increased efficiency and reduced costs of coffee production thereby making it cheaper and affordable to many people in Europe and United States. After slave trade was outlawed in the 1850s, industrialization played a key role in the coffee production in several parts of the British Empire as well as in the Latin America. A number of infrastructural developed which occurred during the period were largely attributed to the coffee production and trade. In many colonies as well as former colonies that produced coffee, railways were constructed to aid coffee export. For example