Tobacco Cultivation in Colonial America, Part II
Aug 5, 2019 16:39:11 GMT -5
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Post by Wolfman on Aug 5, 2019 16:39:11 GMT -5
Courtesy of BriarWorks 8/5/19
As England tried to even the economic scales with Spain, English business in the colonies began to take on greater importance. Breaking the Spanish tobacco monopoly became the goal of English businessman, John Rolfe. Rolfe, somehow obtained seeds from a very popular strain of tobacco from Trinidad, despite Spain declaring the death penalty for any sale of those seeds to non-Spaniards. Rolfe saw the Virginia colony as an ideal spot to attempt cultivation of the tobacco, and set sail with his family aboard the Virginia Company flagship, Sea Venture, as part of the Third Supply fleet to Jamestown. The fleet left England in May 1609 with a planned stop in Bermuda. The fleet suffered loss of ships and life due to a hurricane in the area. They arrived in Bermuda, but many never made it to Virginia, including Rolfe’s wife and daughter who were buried in Bermuda.
Upon arrival in Jamestown, the remainder of the Third Supply fleet found the settlers in dire straits. The colony had been devastated by famine and disease and only 60 settlers remained. Attempts to save the colony proved successful as another supply fleet arrived in June 1610. With the colony saved, Rolfe began his work cultivating tobacco in Virginia. in 1611, Rolfe became the first person to successfully cultivate Nicotiana tabacum plants in North America. Export of the tobacco started in 1612 and the Virginia colony quickly became profitable. That same year, Rolfe established his own plantation, Varina Farms, outside of Jamestown and the first exports from his farm to England began in 1614.
Rolfe and other tobacco farmers were soon exporting large amounts of tobacco. Famously, Rolfe also married Pocahontas, the daughter of local Native American chief Powhatan. This marriage helped solidify a peaceful relationship between the colony and the tribes in the area, allowing the Virginia colony to continue to thrive and established Rolfe and his new wife as celebrities in the English court. The tobacco industry that Rolfe created continued to be a large part of the colonial economy and parts of the old Virginia colony including North Carolina and Virginia are still the leading tobacco production areas in the US.
As England tried to even the economic scales with Spain, English business in the colonies began to take on greater importance. Breaking the Spanish tobacco monopoly became the goal of English businessman, John Rolfe. Rolfe, somehow obtained seeds from a very popular strain of tobacco from Trinidad, despite Spain declaring the death penalty for any sale of those seeds to non-Spaniards. Rolfe saw the Virginia colony as an ideal spot to attempt cultivation of the tobacco, and set sail with his family aboard the Virginia Company flagship, Sea Venture, as part of the Third Supply fleet to Jamestown. The fleet left England in May 1609 with a planned stop in Bermuda. The fleet suffered loss of ships and life due to a hurricane in the area. They arrived in Bermuda, but many never made it to Virginia, including Rolfe’s wife and daughter who were buried in Bermuda.
Upon arrival in Jamestown, the remainder of the Third Supply fleet found the settlers in dire straits. The colony had been devastated by famine and disease and only 60 settlers remained. Attempts to save the colony proved successful as another supply fleet arrived in June 1610. With the colony saved, Rolfe began his work cultivating tobacco in Virginia. in 1611, Rolfe became the first person to successfully cultivate Nicotiana tabacum plants in North America. Export of the tobacco started in 1612 and the Virginia colony quickly became profitable. That same year, Rolfe established his own plantation, Varina Farms, outside of Jamestown and the first exports from his farm to England began in 1614.
Rolfe and other tobacco farmers were soon exporting large amounts of tobacco. Famously, Rolfe also married Pocahontas, the daughter of local Native American chief Powhatan. This marriage helped solidify a peaceful relationship between the colony and the tribes in the area, allowing the Virginia colony to continue to thrive and established Rolfe and his new wife as celebrities in the English court. The tobacco industry that Rolfe created continued to be a large part of the colonial economy and parts of the old Virginia colony including North Carolina and Virginia are still the leading tobacco production areas in the US.
