Batata is the Taino word for sweet potato, the English named derived from its Taino origin. The sweet potato is not genetically related to the savory potato.

Blight refers to Phytophthora infestans, an oomycete or water mold that can spread rapidly and destroy crops. Blight is most often known for its contribution to the Irish potato famine in the mid-1800's.

Americans participated in chattel slavery, a form of slavery allowed people to be bought and sold for the entire span of their lives with no limitations. Mann suggests that American chattel slavery differed greatly from West African slavery which often led to the freedom of enslaved peoples and valued enslaved peoples for their skills and personalities.