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Tobacco during the Columbian Exchange
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The Columbian Exchange: Tobacco
Angel Basurto & Emily Apodaca
01/12/2021
South America
Tobacco originates from the leaves of the genus Nicotiana. Studies of tobacco date back to around the first century BC, when Maya people of South America used tobacco leaves for smoking in sacred and religious ceremonies. People who practiced medicine also started using tobacco for medicinal purposes.
Origins
1492: First introduced to Europe as Columbus landed in the Americas.
In a journal entry, Columbus wrote on October 15th he discovered a canoe with tobacco leaves which then lead to the spread among Spanish colonists.
1556: Introduction of tobacco in France. A French diplomat and scholar by the name Jean Nicot introduced tobacco to the French court in the 16th century which gave rise to the culture of snuffing and the popularization in Europe.
1558: Introduction in Portugal
1559: Introduction in Spain
1565: Introduction in England
1571: Tobacco had spread to all of Europe.
Spread
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Tobacco in Rituals and Medicinal Uses
Uses
Tobacco was used by Native Americans in religious ceremonies and rituals that were said to determine wisdom and was used as offerings to spirits for good weather. The use of tobacco later became known as a medicinal cure-all by the Europeans. Tobacco was said to cure all things from joint pain and migraines to epilepsy and the plague.
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Old World; The Europeans thought of Natives people's cultural use of tobacco as proof of their savagery. However Europeans ended up taking in the habit of smoking and started practicing it's "medicinal uses".
Impact
New World;As tobacco became more popular the production of it had to be increases. With demand of tobacco growing this meant more land and more labor would need to be used. Tobacco also caused environments to suffer from deforestation and soil depletion due to it being grown in the same place repeatedly.