Brownwood: Why we Buy, Drink, and Sell Coffee

The Coffee Controversy ..............

In both the Muslim and Christian worlds coffee was seen as morally and physically degrading, and, perhaps most alarming, politically destabilizing. Coffee houses were seen as potential threats to the status quo for the simple reason that they provided a forum for people of all walks of life to get together and start talking. Open discussion about religion and/or politics was not necessarily approved of by the powers that be. Coffee drinking was often seen as the real culprit behind associated vices such as gambling and dancing girls.

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source: http://www.harvardespresso.com/cofhist.htm