Converged and kind of combined cultures and experiences. And why rum . Prof. Smith i think what is really interesting about rum, its so ubiquitous. Washington, george mount vernon, everyone is bringing rum. It is served on washingtons table. Martha washington said in a letter to the house manager that rum may always be had, imported from a distillery locally in alexandria, virginia, but also from the caribbean. Part of the economy, bringing in hired workers to get some of their wages in rum, and people who received rum for anything from childbirth to getting a cow out of the mire. Its one of these moments where you can see how different groups of people who you dont always think of in conjunction with each other interact around an item thats part of everyday life. When and where is it invented . Prof. Smith i argue in the book that rum was initially invented in barbados, in the early to mid17th century, when europeans from england and scotland as well as native people from south americ