U.S. & World History Themes
One significant environmental factor that has contributed to the development of Egypt’s civilization is the bond between the Nile River and the Egyptian people. The Nile River provides a large amount of water. Soil is a great productivity caused by the Nile. The water levels began to rise each July and the floods reached their full height by the end of August. The flood began to recede, at the end of October, leaving deposits of silt behind (Metz, 1990). This helped flourish the land to produce an abundance of crops for food and trade. This also attracted settlers. With the cultivating success, the Egyptian society evolved rapidly. The Nile River was also the main way to transport goods, trade with outlying communities and to communicate (Hoyt, 2013). It has shaped the life of the Egyptian society. Dr. Robert Whiting describes the geographical process as a way things spread from one place to another (Whiting, PHD, 2013). Among the early human societies, tea is an important part of diffusion. Tea was discovered in China. The ideal climate in the country was perfect for harvesting the tea leaves. Tea can be traced back to 600 BC. It is believed that tea was used for herbal medicinal qualities. Tea became a popular drink during the Tang Dynasty of China (618AD) Tea then spread to Japan in the 6th century, by a priest studying in China. The tea was used for rituals for medicinal use, it is very popular beverage in today Japanese culture. Tea finally arrived in France in the 17th century. Only the elite drank the tea because of the high cost. From there in the 18th century, the British traders began to transport tea into Morocco. The popularity of tea increased because of foreign trade. This is where tea started to change by adding sugar and mint to the product to make Green Tea. Tea salons were popular in the 20th century and still thrive in areas like Paris. Even today, tea can be found everywhere. It is one of the most popular beverages throughout the world. (Teavana, 2014).
The California Gold rush and the Irish Potato Famine were both significant aspect in the development and growth of the United States. The California gold rush is an event that is considered the most famous geographic event in American history. The Sacramento Valley struck gold in early
1848 and by the end of 1849, the population of non-natives was some 100,000, compared to 2,000 at the end of 1848.
Many people (mostly men) were leaving families, and mortgaging everything they had to pursue their dream and to strike it rich. Traveling by foot or by sea to make their journey to California (The Gold Rush of 1849). The large amount of people resulted in new communities developing in Northern California. Becoming a diverse state, people were able to travel easier with the advances made to connections to the sea. This brought people from everywhere and the West grew fast and made immigration possible.
Between 1845 and 1852, the Irish Potato Famine in Ireland also brought growth to the United
States. This was due to failed potato crops in successive years, caused by late blight, and brought on shore from the cargo holds of ships. The blight spread havoc rapidly through the potato fields. This caused starvation, diseases, major financial difficulties that devastated the population the people of Ireland. With time, crops began to recover, but the damage of the devastation continued to be a burden leaving people homeless and destitute. The result of deaths is estimated between 500,000 to 1.5 people as a direct effect of the famine, while over another one million migrated from Ireland. (Irish Potato Famine, 1847). In 1850, using the McCorkell Line, Irish population in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore made up a quarter of the population. (The
Radimer Family History Website). The Irish Immigrants were Catholic, while Americans were Protestants. There was rivalry and for the most part, the immigrants were not welcomed, especially in Boston. There were very few jobs available. Bostonians were afraid that they were being undercut by the Irish willing to accept jobs for less than a local worker. This caused signs being posted “No Irish Need Apply” throughout the city and in shop windows. With determination and willingness, the countless obstacles have been successful for the Irish migrating to America. The Irish Potato Famine and the expansion can be counted as a major environmental factor in the United States in the 19th Century, and this paved the way for immigrants to follow in their footsteps. (The Irish Potato Famine, 2013). Both the California Gold Rush and the Irish Potato Famine has left a mark on the United States today.

Reference
Gold Rush of 1949. Retrieve on October 11, 2014 from http://www.history.com/topics/gold-rush-of-1849

Hoyt, A. (2013). How the Nile River Works. Retrieved on October 11, 2014 from How Stuff Works: http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/nile-river2.htm.
Metz, Helen Chapin, ed. Washington, DC: Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress, 1990. Retrieve October 10, 2014from http://www.shsu.edu/~his_ncp/Egypt.html.
Tea Comes to England Retrieve on October 13, 2014 from http://www.teavana.com/tea-info/tea-comes-to-england Irish Potato Famine: Gone to America. (2000). Retrieved from the History Place on October 23, 2013 from http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/famine/america.htm

The Irish Potato Famine, 1847. Retrieved October 13, 2014 from http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/irishfamine.htm

The Radimer Family History Website. Retrieved October 11, 2014 from http://www.radimerfamily.com/pages/ireland/famine.html

Whiting PhD, R. (2013). An Introduction to Diffusion. Retrieved from Soomo: http://courses.soomopublishing.com/context/4a33345a-34e2-4ccc-9d6f-4464fd9c3ee3/tocs/51db14842e0b830002000001/chapters/51db14842e0b830002000002/assignments/51db14862e0b830002000027