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A brief history of cigars and tobacco
Have you ever wondered where cigars were first produced? It is widely recognized that the cigars were first produced in Spain. But before cigars could become fashionable in Europe, tobacco was necessary to make them. Tobacco is indigenous to America, where indigenous peoples have produced it for hundreds of years. It is believed that the Maya of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and parts of Central America cultivated tobacco, and even smoked! Smoking spread to other nations, both north and south. It is believed that its first use in the United States was probably among the tribes along the Mississippi. It was only after Columbus sailed his famous voyage to the Americas in 1492 that the rest of the world discovered tobacco. It is said that Christopher Columbus was not impressed by tobacco or its use among indigenous peoples, but many seamen actually liked the plant. Soon, it became popular in Spain and Portugal. From there it spread to France, where the French Ambassador Jean Nicot lent his name to the scientific name of tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum). The origin of the word itself of tobacco is still not really known, although many believe it is simply a corruption of the word Tobago, which is the name of a Caribbean island. Still others believe it comes from the word Tabasco, a region (and now state) in Mexico. The first tobacco plantations in the United States was established in Virginia in 1612. More tobacco plantations in Maryland followed shortly thereafter. Although tobacco had become a popular culture, it was only smoked in pipes. The cigar was not introduced in the United States until the late 18th century. Israel Putnam, an army general who had served in the Revolutionary War, is credited with the introduction of cigars in the United States. He had traveled to Cuba after the Revolutionary War and returned with a box of Cuban cigars. Their popularity quickly spread, and soon enough cigar factories were established in the area of Harford, Connecticut, where General Putnam resided. In Europe, the production of cigars and consumption did not achieve widespread popularity unitl after the Peninsula War in the early 19th century. British and french veterans returned to their homeland after years of service in Spain with their tobacco pipes in thir luggage. Among the rich and fashionable, the preferred mode of the tobacco was the cigar. Cigar smoking is a habit traditionally associated with wealth and high society. |
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This intel was contributed by cdnr
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May, 2012
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