TOBACCO
by Triston Hatcher
Tobacco in the American Colonies
Early American settlers soon found tobacco had a profitable market in England, and all other economic activities were discontinued. It was popular in Europe where tobacco smoking and snuff taking had become fashionable. The English consumed more tobacco per capital than any other European nation in the 17th century and sought a place to grow it so they would not have to buy from their old rival, Spain. They could take advantage of this opportunity only if they could get enough labor to increase output. Much of the profits went to importing more English servants. However, the supply of indentured servants had decreased by the end of the 17th century. Desperate for a labor force, they turned to African slaves.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tobacco_in_the_American_Colonies\
Tobacco
When Sir Francis Drake returned to England from the New World he had with him two plants never before seen in Europe, namely the potato and tobacco. England’s reaction to the plants was echoed all through out Europe. The potato was seen as poisonous while tobacco was seen with wonder and amazement.1 In this essay, I will give the brief history of the development of the tobacco trade during the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries and explain what steps Europeans took to control that trade from interlopers.
A Tobacco Plantation
A Tobacco Plantation was the title page for the 1788 publication The Federalist. Authored by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison, The Federalist is a collection of essays that is considered, even today, the "foremost commentary on the United States Constitution."
Tobacco in the 1600s
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_tobacco
On October 15, 1492, Christopher Columbus was offered dried tobacco leaves as a gift from the American Indians that he encountered. Soon after, sailors brought tobacco back to Europe, and the plant was being grown all over Europe.
What are the plantation colonies?
Although planters were only a small part of the Southern population, the plantation economy and slavery shaped life in the SouthernColonies: Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. The South's soil and almost year-round growing season were ideal for plantationcrops like rice and tobacco.
http://www.watertown.k12.ma.us/cunniff/americanhistorycentral/06lifeinbcolonies/A_Southern_Pla.html
Who brought tobacco back from the New World?
In 1571, a Spanish doctor named Nicolas Monardes wrote a book about the history of medicinal plants of the new world. In this he claimed that tobacco could cure 36 health problems. Sir Walter Raleigh introduced "Virginia tobacco into England.
The Growth of the Tobacco Trade
Virginia's economic future did not lie with gold. There was too little gold to be found there. Looking for new ways to make its investments pay dividends, the Virginia Company of London began encouraging multiple ventures by 1618.
http://www.ushistory.org/us/2d.asp