In fact, the Pan-American Coffee Bureau wanted this pamphlet to tell the story of the supposed “lavish” lifestyle that Latin Americans live on the plantations. The statements made in the greeting do not address the truth of what happens in Latin America. The greeting letter does not only address coffee, it addresses that Americans dance to Latin American music, admire the bright and colorful clothing style that is often worn throughout Latin America, and use Latin American pottery to furnish and decorate their homes. Quotes such as “good friends and neighbors in the United States” is meant to give the American reader a warm feeling about the pamphlet before they even begin to explore the rest of the object. Opening up to the first page of the pamphlet, the reader sees a greeting from the Boys and Girls Club of Latin America that will make it seem as if the United States and Latin America are friendly with one another. While the pamphlet, Coffee, The Story of a Good Neighbor Product, depicts a happy relationship between workers in South America and in the United States, the books Uncommon Grounds: The History of Coffee and How it Transformed our World and Coffee – A Brief History, reveal the cynical truth of the treatment of coffee farmers in South America.Ĭoffee, The Story of a Good Neighbor Product, was created in 1966 by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau (Coffee & Eggs).

The treatment of coffee farmers in South America has been overlooked for decades. “Workers were confined to the state-owned plantations and forced to work long hours for low wages” (Pendergrast 18). Coffee has created years worth of turmoil and mistreatment for the people of South America. By 1788, San Domingo supplied half of the worlds’ coffee supply which mean that there was a lot of forced labor amongst the civilians (Pendergrast 17). Despite the many effects and downfalls of coffee, consumers loved the beverage. The Women’s Petition Against Coffee strictly fought for the coffee ban because they felt as if their husbands wore “greater breeches” and would get drunk only to soberize themselves with coffee, which would just drive their wives insane (Pendergrast 13). King Charles II of England banned coffeehouses in 1675 due to the fact that he believed that “coffeehouses disturbed the peace of the realm and promoted idleness and some scurrilous and defamatory rumor-mongering” ( King Charles II). When people were unaware of the bodily effects, coffee was made illegal for the thought that it was a beverage that would make people change into something who they were not. Coffee has been used for many reasons throughout its’ history but has also been looked at as something poisonous by many people. Coffee first spread from Ethiopia to across the Red Sea due to trading with Arabs, then to Turkey, the East Indies, Europe, and then the Americas.

Coffee plays a major part in the world’s history.

Uncommon grounds by mark pendergrast