Nutmeg Documentary

 

I really enjoyed this documentary about nutmeg. I learned many things about the tree and fruit but also about the history of European trade and conquest in the Spice Islands.

The second time that watched this documentary my children joined me and I considered it part of homeschooling (even though we watched it on the weekend.) I even drew these coloring pages and made copies for my children to color.

Nutmeg is native to the Banda Islands, which was a closely guarded secret by spice traders for many many years. When the European companies and governments finally figured out where nutmeg was coming from each power tried securing a monopoly on nutmeg. In the end England ceded their Banda Island to Holland as a trade for what Holland called New Amsterdam in America. New Amsterdam's name was changed and today we know it as Manhattan Island of New York!

If you would like to print my coloring pages you should be able to use the links below to access my scanned drawings and print them.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11gy7ypraOyYkr99KzdZ7S6RfD9orzyu0/view?usp=drivesdk

https://drive.google.com/file/d/11WghLsYNdG-ul3Si-kqs--vmNHripS5P/view?usp=drivesdk

My son had this idea for a funny cartoon depicting the British leaving the Banda Islands to the Dutch saying, "Enjoy your monopoly on nutmeg!" all the while having hundreds of nutmeg seedlings to take and grow elsewhere.

I thought it was such a good idea so I drew it like this: