How Did Food Canning Affect European Civilization

Everyday processes such as food canning, and the now obsolete telegraph, to many people, may not be considered to be one of inventions or ideas that impacted the world the most. However, the industrial inventions of food canning and the development of the electrical telegraph in Europe were the main reason for global domination, as these developments prompted immense changes regarding the role food played in everyday European lives as well as communication around the world with other civilizations and people. Contrary to what is stated in Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, geographical luck, germ immunity, early food production, farming and the domestication of animals that Europe held, played a trivial component in the overall

Research by Nicolas Appert in the 1790s, a French confectioner, who discovered a way to preserve food by, “... food is placed in jars or cans and heated to a temperature that destroys microorganisms and inactive enzymes” (NCHFP). Initially a response to a the call from the government for a way to preserve food in the navy, the process soon took off from Europe to the United States, soon becoming a “world leader in both automated canning processes” as well a “total canning processes” in general (Britannica). Many different types of produce can now be stored for prolonged lengths of times in tin or aluminium cans such as, “...vegetables, fruit, meat and dairy products, and processed foods...” (Britannica). Food canning left not only a great impact on civilians' lives in Europe and other surrounding countries, but left a significant influence on military life, specifically in the Navy. After all, food canning was especially invented for use in the Navy to help prevent disease that ravaged the crew, as well prevent shortage of food, considering this type of food could be transported safely to battlefields without damage, were high in calorie count, cheap and would not be spoiled along the way. The use of food canning made a substantial difference in the everyday lives of people around the globe. Not only did this process

As a broader invention, the telegraph had many predecessors before the electrical telegraph: “...earliest telegraph systems consisted of smoke signals, drums, and mirrors used to reflect sunlight” (EH). However, contrary to popular belief, the invention of the electrical telegraph was not considered to be one immediate breakthrough by one single person. Many scientific discoveries such as the voltaic cell, and further research about electromagnetism, assisted in the final development of the electrical telegraph by Samuel Morse. Even then, throughout the telegraph industry, there were a considerable amount of changes and innovations, such as the sounder, multiplexing or switching between lines, to assemble this product more efficiently and easily. After the high growth of the telegraph around the 1800s, the telegraph soon fell into decline: “...was replaced in most applications in developed countries by digital data-transmission systems based on computer technology” (Britannica). Not only did the telegraph provide easy communication from civilians and governments, its was an important device in wars, effectively communicating instructions, commands or tactics to different sections of the military. As shown in the American Civil War era, the telegraph was an extraordinarily important influence, “...the telegraph pushed America toward