Why the North won the American Civil War
Well.....one reason the North won, according to a recent article in the Smithsonian magazine.
Coffee!!
The North had a naval blockade on Southern ports, thus hindering the supply of coffee from Brazil to ports like New Orleans. On the other hand, the Union was importing large quantities of coffee from Liberia, who supported the Union cause.
Union generals even made statements to the effect that having the troops drink coffee in the morning made them more effective. Caffeinating the troops was apparently official policy.
So, the side with the more extreme case of jitters won out in the end! I suppose this is an early case of the use of "performance enhancing drugs."
Edit: Yes , I am well aware of the more serious reasons why the North had an advantage. This was supposed to be an amusing piece of trivia, not a groundbreaking historical thesis.
Coffee!!
The North had a naval blockade on Southern ports, thus hindering the supply of coffee from Brazil to ports like New Orleans. On the other hand, the Union was importing large quantities of coffee from Liberia, who supported the Union cause.
Union generals even made statements to the effect that having the troops drink coffee in the morning made them more effective. Caffeinating the troops was apparently official policy.
So, the side with the more extreme case of jitters won out in the end! I suppose this is an early case of the use of "performance enhancing drugs."
Edit: Yes , I am well aware of the more serious reasons why the North had an advantage. This was supposed to be an amusing piece of trivia, not a groundbreaking historical thesis.
