| Abstract |
Tobacco is perhaps the most important plant native to the Americas. Before Europeans arrived, it was an integral part of a number of Indigenous cultures. The rise of Atlantic empires made it a global commodity, yet despite its popularity, authorities initially met it with suspicion, and they sometimes banned its cultivation and consumption. Demand for it nonetheless rose, giving rise to vast plantations where enslaved Africans grew it. Beyond the Americas, peasant farmers often raised it. All cultivators came to see tobacco as a crop that required particular attention and skill to grow properly. This perception persisted into the modern era and led to widespread resistance to mechanization. The dangers of tobacco consumption became more well-known in the twentieth century, but global use still rose. For farmers in the southern United States, increased worldwide competition, combined with an end to government subsidies, led to a sharp decline in the cultivation of a crop that had long been an important part of its economy and culture. |
