Some historians revel in hanging their tales on various common pegs such as gout, or epidemics or tobacco. Now author Mark Kurlansky finds his world in a grain of salt in “Salt: A World History,” published by Walker & Co.
He argues that salt has been the stuff of war, taxes and politics and has played a much larger role in history than is generally recognised.
Some examples:
Salt even worked its way into the language. Rome’s soldiers were sometimes paid in salt, hence “salary” and “worth his salt.” The Latin for salt, “sal,” the French “solde” (pay) and “soldier” are intimately related.
Source: Edward Rothstein, Salt, History’s Mover and Shaker, New York Times, March 30, 2002.
For text http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/30/arts/30SHEL.html
For more on Excise Taxes http://www.ncpa.org/iss/tax
FMF Policy Bulletin\17 April 2002
