Meghan Fletcher
GKE1
February 12, 2014

Task 1 The Mesopotamian society was influenced by many factors. The most significant factors that contributed to the development of Mesopotamian society were the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. Virtually every aspect of Mesopotamian life was influenced by the presence of these two rivers. From the beginning, the Mesopotamian’s had to develop an irrigation system so they could better utilize the river’s water. From this point, water from these rivers became the building blocks their society was built upon. “The soil itself is largely a gift of the rivers, which deposit tremendous quantities of silt on their lower course and in the northern part of the Persian Gulf.” (Hollar, 2011) The soil consisted of clay and silt, the Mesopotamian’s then used the clay from the soil to make bricks to build houses out of. Crops flourished due to the rich soil, the irrigation system put into place by the Mesopotamians, making them a self-sustaining agricultural society. French fries, mashed potatoes, tater tots and hash browns: potatoes are a main staple in America and many other countries. They are found in almost every country in the world and date back to ancient Andean society. As the Incan Empire grew, it absorbed the nearby Andean Society, as well as their use of potatoes. When the Spanish conquered the Incan empire, they discovered the many uses of potatoes. The Spanish Explorers then brought them back to Spain. The Spanish then cultivated potatoes, discovering different ways to preserve them, dehydrating, freezing, and even crushing into powder. Potatoes were even used for political gain, thousands of mine workers were only fed potatoes, they even “paid for Spain’s military conquests and political power in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.” (Smith 2011) Potatoes further diffused throughout Europe and made their way to the United States. The United States expanded quickly in the 19th century, influenced by many different social, environmental and geographic factors. Two major environmental factors that influenced the expansion of the United States were the Gold Rush and the Dust Bowl. The Gold Rush drove people to California with the promise of riches and success. In fact, “California’s population soared from less than 20,000 in 1846 to over 200,000 by the end of the 1850s.” (The California Historical Society, 2001) Gold was naturally produced by rivers, making it easy to procure and sell, driving many to California to make an “easy” living. People were also driven to California by the Dust Bowl. Crops in the mid-west were abundant post World War I, due to the uncharacteristically moist soil. Soon, the Midwest began to suffer the great consequences of over-abundance and more supply than demand. The soil was unusually suitable for growing many crops, but “by the time the climate finally reverted to something like its typical patterns and a prolonged drought set in, the Great Plains had been transformed into a disaster waiting to happen.” (Soomo, 2013) Many farmers lost their crops due to the drought and although government assistance was provided, farmers were still unable to make ends meet. They were then forced to move west, some moving to Washington and Colorado, but the majority moved to California.
Works Cited
The California Historical Society. (2001). The California Gold Rush: History through the collections series, part 1 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.californiahistoricalsociety.org/research/pdf/California_Gold_Rush.pdf

Hollar, S. (2011). Ancient Civilizations: Mesopotamia [ebrary book]. Retrieved from http://lrps.wgu.edu/provision/8542376

Smith, A.F. (2011). Potato: A global history [ebrary book]. Retrieved from http://lrps.wgu.edu/provision/8539677

Soomo. (2013) The Dust Bowl [ebrary book]. Retrieved from http://courses.soomopublishing.com/context/fcd6a60e-7c0d-4cfa-8bd8-164f1408a5a9/tocs/51db14842e0b830002000001