The American taste for the avocado has skyrocketed in the 21st century, with the US Department of agriculture noting the annual per capita avocado demand tripling to 8 pounds between 2000 and 2021. Whether for trendy toast or for football party guacamole, the story behind the evergreen fruit is a spicy addition to the mix.
During the civil war, the manufacture of powder and explosives was often handled by the most vulnerable, young women and children, whose labor was needed when so many men had been sent off to war. On March 13, 1863, the confederacy experienced a munitions disaster, in the confederate capitol of Richmond.