| Tobacco (Nicotiana spp., L.) refers to a | | | | Pocahontas, a daughter of Chief |
| genus of broad-leafed plants of the | | | | Powhatan. Although most of the settlers |
| nightshade family indigenous to North | | | | wouldn't touch the tobacco crop, Rolfe |
| and South America, or to the dried and | | | | was able to make his fortune farming it |
| cured leaves of such plants. Tobacco | | | | for export at Varina Farms Plantation. |
| leaves are often smoked (see tobacco | | | | When he left for England with |
| smoking) in the form of a cigar or | | | | Pocahontas, he was wealthy. When Rolfe |
| cigarette, or in a smoking pipe, or in a | | | | returned to Jamestown following |
| water pipe or a hookah. This could | | | | Pocahontas's death in England, he |
| damage the lungs and could also | | | | continued to improve the quality of |
| potentially cause lung disorders such as | | | | tobacco. By 1620, 40,000 pounds of |
| asthma. Tobacco is also chewed, "dipped" | | | | tobacco were shipped to England. By the |
| (placed between the cheek and gum), and | | | | time John Rolfe died in 1622, Jamestown |
| sniffed into the nose as finely powdered | | | | was thriving as a producer of tobacco |
| snuff. | | | | and Jamestown's population would top |
| Tobacco contains the alkaloid nicotine, | | | | 4,000. Tobacco led to the importation of |
| a powerful neurotoxin that is | | | | the colony's first black slaves as well |
| particularly harmful to insects. All | | | | as women from England in 1619. |
| means of consuming tobacco result in the | | | | The importation of tobacco into Europe |
| absorption of nicotine in varying | | | | was not without resistance and |
| amounts into the user's bloodstream, and | | | | controversy, even in the 17th century. |
| over time the development of tolerance | | | | King James I of England (James VI of |
| and dependence. Absorption quantity, | | | | Scotland) wrote a famous polemic titled |
| frequency and speed seem to have a | | | | A Counterblaste to Tobacco in 1604 |
| direct relationship with how strong a | | | | (published in 1672). In his essay, the |
| dependence and tolerance, if any, might | | | | king denounced tobacco use as "[a] |
| be created. A lethal dose of nicotine is | | | | custome lothsome to the eye, hatefull to |
| contained in as little as one half of a | | | | the Nose, harmefull to the braine, |
| cigar or three cigarettes; however, only | | | | dangerous to the Lungs, and in the |
| a fraction of the nicotine contained in | | | | blacke stinking fume thereof, neerest |
| these products is actually released into | | | | resembling the horrible Stigian smoke of |
| the smoke, and most clinically | | | | the pit that is bottomelesse." In that |
| significant cases of nicotine poisoning | | | | same year, an English statute was |
| are the result of concentrated forms of | | | | enacted that placed a heavy protective |
| the compound used as insecticides. Other | | | | tariff on every pound of tobacco brought |
| active alkaloids in tobacco include | | | | into England. |
| harmala alkaloids. | | | | Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, |
| Tobacco smoking carries significant | | | | tobacco continued to be the "cash crop" |
| risks including the potential to develop | | | | of the Virginia Colony, along with The |
| various cancers as well as strokes, and | | | | Carolinas. Large tobacco warehouses |
| severe cardiovascular and respiratory | | | | filled the areas near the wharfs of new |
| diseases. Significantly shorter life | | | | thriving towns such as Richmond and |
| expectancies have been associated with | | | | Manchester at the fall line (head of |
| tobacco smoking. Many jurisdictions | | | | navigation) on the James River, and |
| have enacted smoking bans in an effort | | | | Petersburg on the Appomattox River. |
| to minimize possible damage to public | | | | Until 1883, tobacco excise tax accounted |
| health caused by tobacco smoking. The | | | | for one third of internal revenue |
| substantially increased risk of | | | | collected by the United States |
| developing cancer as a result of tobacco | | | | government. |
| usage seems to be due to the plethora of | | | | A historian of the American South in the |
| nitrosamines and other carcinogenic | | | | late 1860s reported on typical usage in |
| compounds found in tobacco and its | | | | the region where it was grown: |
| residue as a result of anaerobic | | | | The chewing of tobacco was well-nigh |
| heating, either due to smoking or to | | | | universal. This habit had been |
| flue-curing or fire-curing. The use of | | | | widespread among the agricultural |
| flue-cured or fire-cured smokeless | | | | population of America both North and |
| tobacco in lieu of smoked tobacco | | | | South before the war. Soldiers had found |
| reduces the risk of respiratory cancers | | | | the quid a solace in the field and |
| but still carries significant risk of | | | | continued to revolve it in their mouths |
| oral cancer. In contrast, use of | | | | upon returning to their homes. Out of |
| steam-cured chewing tobacco (snus), | | | | doors where his life was principally led |
| avoids the carcinogenicity by not | | | | the chewer spat upon his lands without |
| generating nitrosamines, but the | | | | offence to other men, and his homes and |
| negative effects of the nicotine on the | | | | public buildings were supplied with |
| cardiovascular system and pancreas are | | | | spittoons. Brown and yellow parabolas |
| not ameliorated. | | | | were projected to right and left toward |
| Native Americans used tobacco before | | | | these receivers, but very often without |
| Europeans arrived in America, and early | | | | the careful aim which made for cleanly |
| European settlers in America learned to | | | | living. Even the pews of fashionable |
| smoke and brought the practice back to | | | | churches were likely to contain these |
| Europe, where it became hugely popular. | | | | familiar conveniences. The large numbers |
| At extremely high doses, tobacco becomes | | | | of Southern men, and these were of the |
| hallucinogenic; accordingly, Native | | | | better class (officers in the |
| Americans generally did not use the drug | | | | Confederate army and planters, worth |
| recreationally. Rather, it was often | | | | $20,000 or more, and barred from general |
| consumed in extraordinarily high | | | | amnesty) who presented themselves for |
| quantities and used as an entheogen; | | | | the pardon of President Johnson, while |
| generally, this was done only by | | | | they sat awaiting his pleasure in the |
| experienced shamans or medicine men. In | | | | ante-room at the White House, covered |
| addition to being smoked, uncured | | | | its floor with pools and rivulets of |
| tobacco was often eaten, drunk as | | | | their spittle. An observant traveller in |
| tobacco juice, or used in enemas. Early | | | | the South in 1865 said that in his |
| missionaries often reported on the state | | | | belief seven-tenths of all persons above |
| caused by tobacco, but as it spread into | | | | the age of twelve years, both male and |
| the west, it was no longer used in such | | | | female, used tobacco in some form. Women |
| large quantities or for entheogenic | | | | could be seen at the doors of their |
| purposes. Religious use of tobacco is | | | | cabins in their bare feet, in their |
| still common among many indigenous | | | | dirty one-piece cotton garments, their |
| peoples, particularly those of South | | | | chairs tipped back, smoking pipes made |
| America. | | | | of corn cobs into which were fitted reed |
| With the arrival of Europeans, tobacco | | | | stems or goose quills. Boys of eight or |
| became one of the primary products | | | | nine years of age and half-grown girls |
| fueling the colonization of the future | | | | smoked. Women and girls "dipped" in |
| American South, long before the creation | | | | their houses, on their porches, in the |
| of the United States. The initial | | | | public parlors of hotels and in the |
| colonial expansion, fueled by the desire | | | | streets. |
| to increase tobacco production, was one | | | | As a lucrative crop, tobacco has been |
| cause of the first colonial conflicts | | | | the subject of a great deal of |
| with Native Americans and became a | | | | biological and genetic research. The |
| driving factor for the use of African | | | | economic impact of Tobacco Mosaic |
| slaves' labor. | | | | disease was the impetus that led to the |
| In 1609, John Rolfe arrived at the | | | | isolation of Tobacco mosaic virus, the |
| Jamestown Settlement in Virginia. He is | | | | first virus to be identified; the |
| credited as the first man to | | | | fortunate coincidence that it is one of |
| successfully raise tobacco for | | | | the simplest virii and can self-assemble |
| commercial use at Jamestown. The tobacco | | | | from purified nucleic acid and protein |
| raised in Virginia at that time, | | | | led in turn to the rapid advancement of |
| Nicotiana rustica, was not to the liking | | | | the field of virology. The 1946 Nobel |
| of the Europeans, but Rolfe had brought | | | | Prize in Chemistry was shared by Wendell |
| some seed for Nicotiana tabacum with him | | | | Meredith Stanley for his 1935 work |
| from Bermuda. Shortly after arriving, | | | | crystallizing the virus, and showing |
| his first wife died, and he married | | | | that it still remains active. |