SaltA World History

Author: Mark KurlanskyPresented by: Kara Banson

Thesis/ Roadmap

Salt was a valuable good that impacted several areas of history since it enabled trading networks, provoked wars, inspired independence, enhanced food flavors, and influenced words that are used today.

Overview: Salt Mining Process

3000 B.C (Sichuan) -salt making began in China

Li Bang: founded the first natural brine wells (252 B.C) and used bamboo piping

Solar evaporation of sea water

System of ponds and sluices: Salt Cay (Bermuda)- ponds drained in order to mend the stone or clay at bottom. The ponds are then refilled and undergo solar evaporation.

Other systems included: a human powered wheel that pumped brine, later on salt makers took advantage of the steam engine

Close pan production under vacuum (Morton)

Salt’s impact on drilling: used to find rock salt. China’s percussion drilling influenced the Europeans to modify. They began using a rotary drill

1859 Pennsylvania- Edwin Drake was drilling for salt when he discovered oil instead!

Trading Networks

Humans + animals need salt

Salt preserved food products

Added taste to bland food

= demand of salt = trading networks formed

Successful salt ports: Sichuan Genoa Sicily Kanawha Timbuktu

Wars

American Revolution New England- many salt works- salted cod Colonists produced a lot of salted cod (Britain could not

sell all) 1700s – colonists did not feel they needed Britain-except

their salt Britain imposed tariffs= to inhibit American trade Americans responded with force = led to battles Britain

vs. Colonists British blockaded salt reserves = colonists made own salt Conclusion: Treaty of Paris

Wars (con.)

Civil War- shortage of salt = strategic advantage

Confederates vs. the Union Union blockade: left the confederates with lack

of salt + other goods = famine and disease Confederates tried to make own salt and salt

substitutes: FAILED Salt working- only way to avoid military service

Union destroyed many salt works in the South and liberated slave workers = Union victory

IndependenceGandhi’s salt march

India 1923- Britain doubled salt tax in order to

balance the budget Gandhi led Indian national congress =

made Indian independence a massive movement thru salt campaign

March 12, 1930: Gandhi + 78 selected followers left ashram and walked 240 miles to the sea at Dandi

April 5- reached Dandi with thousands of followers where he picked up a piece salt, which was against salt laws

Led to numerous salt protests and salt gathering spread widely

He was imprisoned –leading to more rebellions and chaos

1931- Lord Irwin signed Gandhi- Irwin pact ending campaign

1947- India became independent

Uses in Food Soy sauce- complicated process

originally made by peasants produced by fermenting soybeans and adding water and salt

Garum sauce-salt and chili powder mixed with minced ginger root found in Italy and Asia

Tabasco sauce- Edmund Mcllhenny experimented with Mexican red pepper and pickled it with brine to produce a spicy sauce (Avery Island, Louisiana)

Ketchup-18th century England-anchovy sauce became known as ketchup which means a base of dark thick soy sauce in Indonesian. Later on ketchup became a tomato sauce.

Other salted foods includes: caviar and prosciutto

Mainly salt was used to preserve herring, cod, and cheese

Word Derivations

Salary-Roman soldiers were paid in salt. “Salary” literally means “worth his salt” or “earning his salt”

Salad- Romans salted their greens in order to balance out the natural bitterness

Today Due to modern geology salt =

common commodity + inexpensive

Small salt producers were bought out by big companies such as Morton

Morton Salt Company- invented vacuum evaporator- uniform salt crystals

USA largest salt producer + salt consumer Produces 40 million metric tons

of salt a year and earns more than $1 billion in sales revenue

8% of salt production is food 51 % of salt production is for

road salt