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Jun 2024
20m 27s

#484 | Robert Fortune: The Man Who Stole...

Leonardo English
About this episode

 


Robert Fortune, a Scottish botanist, pulled off one of history's greatest acts of corporate espionage: stealing the secrets of tea production from China.

 

In this episode we'll explore his daring adventure, the fascinating world of 19th-century tea trade, and how his actions forever changed the global tea industry.

 
  • Robert Fortune's theft of tea from China
  • Importance of tea to Britain
  • Opium trade with China
  • Impact of Opium Wars
  • Restrictions on foreign travel in China
  • Fortune's disguise and exploration
  • Discovery of tea production methods
  • Transportation of tea plants to India
  • Success of the Indian tea industry
  • Robert Fortune's legacy

Full interactive transcript, subtitles and key vocabulary available on the website: https://www.leonardoenglish.com/podcasts/robert-fortune

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Keywords: Learn English, vocabulary, lessons, idioms, aprende inglés, idiomas, aprender inglês, apprendre l'anglais, imparare l’inglese, ingilizce öğren,英語を習う, تعلم الإنجليزية

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