Tobacco Takes The Lead

Although it is difficult to choose one plant that had the greatest impact on world history, I would have to say it was tobacco. This plant became the most important cash crop in America and forever shaped the country. One of the early uses of tobacco was for religious and public ceremonies among several tribes of Native Americans. European explorers also reported that the crop could be used to cure almost every existing ailment. It was capable of inducing relaxation before battle,  putting off hunger, and thought to treat various diseases.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_commercial_tobacco_in_the_United_States#mediaviewer/File:DunhillEarlyMorningPipeMurrays.jpg

After tobacco was introduced to England, it became a necessary recreation for all gentlemen and was quickly adopted by the general population. Thus, the tobacco industry flourished and colonists had to produce the crop to meet the growing demand in Europe. The economy of North America was never the same after the cash crop was found. More settlers would arrive from Europe and a sense of independence in the colonies would 

emerge. Tobacco could even be used as a currency in Maryland and Virginia in exchange for groceries. However, such a lucrative product had to have its tolls – tobacco was tremendously labor intensive. With its increase of production came the increase in the slave trade. It was decided that the farming and cultivation was most suited work for Africans rather than the initial indentured servants, resulting in African slaves becoming the backbone for tobacco trade. This created deeply rooted racial problems that led to political movements and the illegalization of slavery. Issues of racism still remain prevalent in society today.

http://depositphotos.com/3592383/stock-photo-tobacco-plantation-in-tuscany.html

 

Tobacco’s infamous legacy does not end there. The negative health effects of the plant were not originally known. Tobacco became and continues to remain an addiction to its consumers. The mode of delivery changed from snuff held sway, to cigars, to manufactured cigarettes. At the beginning of the 21^st century, 1/3 of adults used tobacco. Regardless of the surplus of studies showing that tobacco kills its users and cigarettes affect non-users via secondhand smoke, people across the globe continue to smoke and deaths continue to rise everyday. So, how different would the world be without tobacco?

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Check Out This Tobacco Timeline: 

http://www.intheknowzone.com/substance-abuse-topics/tobacco/history.html