Ukrainian city demolishes monument to Russian general who beat Napoleon.

[happyslug]

103. Those wheat shipments lead to other things.

In 1815 Mount Tarbora exploded in the East Indies. This threw so much dirt into the air that 1816 became known as the year without a summer:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_Without_a_Summer

Prior to 1816 the primary food crop planted by most farmers was Corn (referred to as "Maize" in England). Those farmers in New England that planted Wheat in 1816 was able to get that crop in before the early frost. Those farmers that planted corn, saw they crop killed by frost. You had massive famine in New England (and elsewhere). It was hard on the poorer elements in New England, but the fish industry still provided food and food could be imported from Pennsylvania and the South, but it was expensive.

This started the switch from Corn to Wheat in the US. New Englanders took this policy with them Westward into the northern areas of the American mid-west and started what by 1900 was the massive wheat fields of the Great Plains.

Yes, British intervention into Spain in 1808 (which lasted to 1814) started the switch to wheat, a crop that saved many a New Englander's life in 1816.

I can not find a source, but Potatoes are known to survive frost and colder weather better then most other crops. Potatoes were well known to Americans prior to the Revolution, but the main crop remain Corn. I suspect that since Potatoes survived 1816 better then corn, Potatoes planting expanded after 1816, but then dropped after the potato blight of the 1830s (the same blight that hit Ireland hard). Please note the Potato crop in Ireland FAILED in 1816, it became to wet, but revived the following year till the blight hit. The blight was a bigger hit for it affect the Irish over many years, not just one growing season.

The massive crop failure is also believed to have convinced more New Englanders to move West. I can see a family, do to food shortages seeing their grand parents die early and maybe one or two children. Staying would bring back to many bad memories so the family decided to move west.

Those farmers that had planted Wheat did not come under such pressure, they had enough to eat and feed their families.

Just pointing out, yes Politics can be Byzantine, but sometimes what happens in one part of the world, ends up affecting another. How could someone think a British move into Spain in 1808 would lead to a massive Internal AMERICAN move from New England to the Mid West in 1817?

http://history1800s.about.com/od/crimesanddisasters/a/The-Year-Without-A-Summer.htm