First Successful Colonial Tobacco Crop

In 1611 John Rolfe became the first Englishman to cultivate tobacco nearby at Varina Farm on the James River. He planted seeds bred in Varinas, Spain, and experimented with curing methods to produce a tobacco milder than the native variety. Tobacco's success as a cash crop encouraged the Virginia Company of London and renewed confidence among the colonists. It supported a wealthy planter class and enriched shippers and merchants. Tobacco thereby contributed to the economic security and survival of the Virginia colony, and thus the nation.

Virginia · United States