What do the French Revolution, the decline of the Vikings, The Renaissance, The Black Death, and the fall of the Spanish Empire all have in common? They were all products of The little Ice Age. A 500 year period of history in which the climate cooled greatly as is shown in the graft to the side.
This effected agriculture and the order of society around the globe. The cold changed the crops in Europe. People could no longer grow grapes in Germany and England like they did before. The potato became popular in Europe because it grew under ground and could handle cold better. As agriculture suffered traders and merchants sought foreign land. This launched the age of discovery.
Napoleon was defeated by this Little Ice Age. his massive army of 500,000 starved and froze to death in Russia during one of the worst winters ever. The American revolution survived due to the effects of the little ice age. The Spanish Armada was destroyed by horrible September weather.
To sum it the popularity of beer and potatoes are a result of this change. As is the Protestant Reformation and the age of exploration and Renaissance। Our lives today are greatly effected because of the effect of The Little Ice Age on the people of the time.
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