The potatoes came to Europe...

The potatoes came to Europe South America, where they were first grown by the people in Peru many thousands of years ago. Spanish explorers discovered the potatoes in the 1500s they arrived in South America. They them back to Europe, but the potatoes were not popular at first because people thought they strange and even dangerous. However, explorers and sailors commed to carry potatoes on ships. The potatoes first appeared in the American colonies in the early 1600s. One story that the Governor of the Bahamas sent potatoes as a gift to the Governor of Virginia the 1620s. The Irish immigrants, who arrived later, were very important for spreading the potatoes because they already how to grow and cook them well. In the early 1700s, people grew potatoes in places like New Hampshire and quickly spread them to other colonies. At first, many Americans didn't the potatoes much, but people started to accept them when Thomas Jefferson served potatoes at the White House in the late 1700s. After that, the potatoes became popular and important because they grow well in different places and climates. Over time, the potatoes became the main food America, used in many dishes to help feed the population.