When Christopher Columbus (1451-1506) reached America, he found that the Native Americans who had occupied the land for thousands of years were already using tobacco in much the same ways it is used today. The tobacco plant is native to America, primarily to the Caribbean area. The Indians believed that tobacco had medicinal value and passed this idea on to European colonists. The natives also used tobacco in official ceremonies in which the traditional peace pipe was shared by all. They mainly used wild tobacco, though some groups did cultivate it.
The colonists pursued tobacco cultivation as an industry. The first known instance of colonial tobacco growing was in 1531 at Santo Domingo. The French ambassador to Portugal, Jean Nicot (c. 1530-1600) first introduced tobacco to Europe in 1556. The tobacco genus Nicotiana was named for him, and the term nicotine was derived from his last name. All of Europe had tobacco by 1600. Early tobacco items in use among the Europeans and colonists included rolled cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco, and snuff. Snuff consists of finely grated tobacco scented with jasmine, cloves, or other fragrances. It is sniffed or dipped--applied between the lip and gums. By 1600, tobacco was popular in England, and its popularity increased in Europe generally during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Elaborate pipes and finely ornamented snuffboxes became the fashion rage.
By the 1630s, tobacco was being grown in colonies from Brazil to Virginia and eventually became the most important colonial commodity traded with Europe. After tobacco is harvested, it must be carefully dried. This process is called curing. At first, tobacco was air-cured in barns, which took several weeks. Smoke-curing was adopted later. This method was faster, but the smoke affected the tobacco's flavor. To overcome this, charcoal-curing was developed in 1825. In 1839 Stephen Slade, the slave of a prosperous North Carolina tobacco farmer, accidentally discovered that tobacco turned bright yellow and became more flavorful when cured slowly over hot coals. The widespread adoption of Slade's method greatly increased the demand for tobacco and its value as a cash crop.
Development of a light form of tobacco called White Burley from green-deficient tobacco plants began in Ohio in 1864. It was used in the manufacture of the American tobacco-blended cigarette. Paper-wrapped tobacco was first used in Seville, Spain, in the 1600s and gradually spread to all parts of Europe. It had been considered offensive to be offered a cigarette when a fine cigar or snuff was so much more preferable, but widespread acceptance of the cigarette began in America during the economic crisis of 1873 and with the introduction of White Burley. Tobacco is produced in North America in Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Missouri, and southern Ontario. It is grown and processed worldwide in temperate and tropical regions. Mechanical harvesting of tobacco was not introduced until the 1970s. As with cotton, human labor was plentiful for tobacco harvesting and selecting high quality leaves requires human judgement.
Extensive research into the health risks of tobacco use has inspired extensive anti-smoking campaigns. Contrary to early beliefs concerning tobacco's healthful benefits, its use causes cancer, emphysema, heart disease, and painful, premature death, not only for the user, but for those exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke. Despite the ominous warnings, tobacco use has increased in some segments of society, particularly among women and teenagers. Regional economies and livelihoods depend on the tobacco industry, while users defend their right of choice. However, a number of recent court cases, and efforts to impose government regulation on tobacco companies has resulted in massive negative publicity for tobacco companies, and in some government imposed fines on tobacco companies.
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