Platinum Author
Having stolen their very own coffee plant, Dutch traders began cultivation trials on the East Indian Dutch colony of Java, hence the internationally recognized association with the precious drink. By the 1690's, coffee plantations had rapidly spread to nearby island colonies of Sumatra, Timor, and Bali. The industrious Dutch East India company also began large scale coffee production in Ceylon, where the plant had already been introduced by the Arabs.
In 1706, Dutch growers in Java sent home the first crop of beans to be planted in the Amsterdam Botanical Garden. This offering, despite its small size, was a critical point in the history of the coffee trade, making Amsterdam the commercial center of coffee grown in Dutch colonies. Seeds from the Amsterdam Botanical Garden were grown into seedlings which were planted throughout the world. The Amsterdam Botanical Garden was later named "the universal coffee nursery" by 18th century scientist Dr. James Douglas because it was the birth place of the coffee plantation in the New World.
In 1714, the burgomaster of Amsterdam gifted the King of France (Louis XIV) a five foot tree from the botanical garden. Being quite sneaky themselves, the French were no strangers to the drink, and had managed to smuggle their own seeds from Mocha to a small island off of Madagascar. Since they weren't successful with growing it in France, they received the gift from the Dutch quite warmly where it was planted in a garden in a special green house constructed by the French royal botanist.
It was Louis XIV's secret desire that from the seeds from this tree would emerge France's own coffee empire. His wish came true when he was able to develop French plantations in their colonies. Not only did his ambitious wish come true, but it flourished, becoming the ancestor for coffee currently grown in Central and South America.
Slavery and forced labor was the only viable way to meet the world's insatiable demand for coffee.
About this Author
http://www.TheCoffeeMakerStore.com is on a mission to be the coolest coffee makers store on the planet. We write about coffee, coffee makers, and coffee culture. Check out our free coffee fat calculator and see how fat coffee makes you!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heather_Bingham
