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The Rise of the Coffee House

In the 17th and 18th centuries, coffee houses emerged in Europe as important public social spaces. Originating in the Middle East, these establishments quickly became popular in major cities like London, Paris, and Vienna. Unlike taverns, which primarily served alcohol and were often rowdy, coffee houses offered a different kind of atmosphere. They were places for sober conversation, intellectual discussion, and the conduct of business. For the price of a cup of coffee, a person could sit for hours, read the latest pamphlets and newspapers, and engage in debate with others.

Coffee houses became so central to the exchange of information that they were nicknamed "penny universities." This moniker arose because a penny—the price of admission or a cup of coffee—granted a person access to a wealth of knowledge and conversation with learned individuals. Merchants used them to make business deals, scientists discussed their latest theories, and writers gathered to share their work. The open and inclusive nature of these spaces allowed people from different social strata to mingle, although they were predominantly frequented by men.

The influence of coffee houses extended beyond social interaction to politics and finance. Political factions often used specific coffee houses as their informal headquarters, and public opinion was shaped by the discussions held within their walls. In London, for example, the famous insurance market Lloyd's of London began as a coffee house where merchants and ship-owners gathered to share shipping news and underwrite voyages. As such, these institutions played a vital role in the commercial and intellectual life of the period, helping to fuel the Enlightenment and the growth of modern capitalism.