Jeffrey Salazar
Veganism is an extreme form of vegetarianism that involves abstaining from the use of animal products and the consumption of animal-sourced foods. The term was coined in 1944 by British woodworker Donald Watson, who wanted to differentiate vegans from vegetarians, who do not eat meat but still consume other animal products such as milk, dairy, and eggs. However, the concept of avoiding meat and animal products can be traced back to ancient Indian and eastern Mediterranean societies, with Greek philosopher Pythagoras and Buddha known to have promoted vegetarianism around 500 BCE.
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The term 'vegan' was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson
The term 'vegan' was coined in 1944 by British woodworker Donald Watson, who felt that a new word was needed to describe people who did not consume meat, eggs, or dairy. Watson settled on the term 'vegan' from a suggestion by early members Mr George A. Henderson and his wife Fay K. Henderson, who proposed calling their society 'Allvega' and their magazine 'Allvegan'. Watson described the word as containing the "first three and last two letters of 'vegetarian'", marking "the beginning and end of vegetarian".
The word was coined in response to Watson's belief that vegetarians, who abstain from consuming meat, also frequently consume other animal products such as milk, dairy, and eggs. Watson, along with five other non-dairy vegetarians, founded the Vegan Society in November 1944 to promote this distinction. The society's first newsletter, 'The Vegan News', was priced at tuppence and asked readers if they could think of a better term than 'vegan' to describe a "non-dairy vegetarian". Suggestions included 'allvega', 'neo-vegetarian', 'dairyban', 'vitan', 'benevore', 'sanivores', and 'beaumangeur'.
The term 'vegan' was first published independently by the Oxford Illustrated Dictionary in 1962, which defined vegans as "a vegetarian who eats no butter, eggs, cheese, or milk".
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The first vegan cookbook was published in 1849
The first vegan cookbook, Asenath Nicholson's Kitchen Philosophy for Vegetarians, was published in 1849. This was a time when vegetarianism was becoming increasingly popular in Britain and the United States, with the first vegetarian society being formed in England in 1847.
The early 19th century saw several prominent figures advocate for a meatless diet, including poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, London physician William Lambe, and Presbyterian minister Sylvester Graham. In 1834, Amos Bronson Alcott, the father of novelist Louisa May Alcott, opened the Temple School in Massachusetts, which promoted a vegan lifestyle.
The publication of Nicholson's cookbook in 1849 was a significant milestone in the history of veganism, providing a practical guide for those adopting this lifestyle. It is also a reflection of the growing interest in veganism during this period, with the formation of vegan communities and societies dedicated to promoting a plant-based diet and ethical treatment of animals.
The term "vegan" itself would not be coined until 1944 by Donald Watson, who felt that a new word was needed to describe those who followed a non-dairy vegetarian diet and lifestyle. The first vegan society was founded that same year, marking the beginning of a global movement advocating for the rights of animals and the benefits of a plant-based diet.
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The first vegan society was founded in 1944
Watson's decision to found the society was influenced by the discovery of tuberculosis in 40% of Britain's dairy cows the previous year, which he used to argue that the vegan lifestyle protected people from tainted food. The term "vegan" was coined by Watson and schoolteacher Dorothy Morgan, who would later become his wife. The word is based on "the first three and last two letters of 'vegetarian'" because it marked, in Watson's words, "the beginning and end of vegetarian".
The first meeting of The Vegan Society was held in early November 1944 and was attended by Donald Watson, Elsie B. Shrigley, Fay K. Henderson, Alfred Hy Haffenden, Paul Spencer, and Bernard Drake, with Mme Pataleewa (Barbara Moore, a Russian-British engineer) observing. The society's first newsletter, The Vegan News, was published in November 1944 and attracted more than 100 letters, including one from George Bernard Shaw, who resolved to give up eggs and dairy. World Vegan Day is held every 1st of November to commemorate the founding of the society.
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The vegan diet became mainstream in the 2010s
Restaurant chains began adding vegan items to their menus, and supermarkets started stocking the latest tofu brands. Even fast-food chains, notorious for their unethical treatment of animals and humans, began selling faux-meat burgers made from pea protein. The Economist went as far as to declare 2019 "the year of the vegan".
The global mock-meat market increased by 18% between 2005 and 2010, and in the US by 8% between 2012 and 2015, to $553 million a year. In 2017, 15,364 world scientists signed a warning, calling for "promoting dietary shifts towards mostly plant-based foods".
The vegan diet's mainstream appeal was also bolstered by celebrity endorsements, with famous vegans including Moby, Woody Harrelson, Fiona Apple, and Dennis Kucinich.
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The ancient Greeks and Indians practised early forms of veganism
In ancient Greece, vegetarianism was first mentioned by the philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras of Samos around 500 BCE. Pythagoras promoted benevolence among all species, including humans, and followed what could be described as a vegetarian diet. Followers of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism also advocated vegetarianism, believing that humans should not inflict pain on other animals.
In addition, the Roman poet Ovid (43 BCE–18 AD) depicted Pythagoras as saying:
> Alas, what wickedness to swallow flesh into our own flesh, to fatten our greedy bodies by cramming in other bodies, to have one living creature fed by the death of another!
Furthermore, the Greek sage Pythagoras may have advocated an early form of strict vegetarianism. Eudoxus of Cnidus, a student of Archytas and Plato, writes,
> Pythagoras was distinguished by such purity and so avoided killing and killers that he not only abstained from animal foods but even kept his distance from cooks and hunters.
Finally, the Greek philosopher Empedocles, the Roman playwright Seneca the Younger, and other Greek philosophers such as Theophrastus, Plutarch, Plotinus, and Porphyry are also associated with the practice.
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Frequently asked questions
The vegan diet was invented to end the exploitation of animals and prevent animal cruelty.
The term "vegan" was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson, a British woodworker, to describe people who did not consume meat, eggs, or dairy.
The diets of our ancestors were largely plant-based, but it is unclear whether they were fully vegan. Some of the earliest vegans may have included the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten, the Jain monk Parshvanatha, and the Japanese Emperor Tenmu.
People choose to go vegan for a variety of reasons, including ethical concerns about animal welfare, reducing their environmental impact, and improving their health.
