The Tobacco Reference Guide by David Moyer

by David Moyer, MD.

Chapter 4 History of tobacco in chronological order

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History of tobacco in chronological order: 1500

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By the early and mid-16th century, attempts to grow tobacco throughout Europe had

failed, first in Spain and Portugal, and then in Belgium, France, Germany, and

eventually, by 1570, in England. Only the strong and harsh varieties, which were not

pleasing to the taste and generally were difficult to tolerate upon inhalation, could be

grown in these areas, and even then not grown very well or very productively.

Therefore, Portugal and Spain, at the early crossroads of the seven seas trade in

tobacco, expanded and developed their colonies in the New World, not only in search

of gold, but to help supply the growing demand for the New world tobacco leaf, far

more highly desired than any variant that would grow in Europe and, ultimately, more

economically valuable than gold or silver.

Quote from The Tobacco Epidemic, p. 17 (Gary Huber)

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None of the great explorers of the Orient, including Marco Polo, Vasco da Gama, or

any other, described any use of tobacco in the Far East until after it had been

introduced there by the trading of these Portuguese and Spanish sailors. Sir John

Hawkyns, probably the first English slave trader, brought tobacco from Florida to his

own homeland in 1565, as did Sir Francis Drake, returning from Roanoke Island, in

Virginia, over a decade later, in 1586. It was Sir Walter Raleigh, however, who won

approval from Queen Elizabeth and the English royal court to smoke tobacco, in the

manner modeled after the custom of the American Indian, by burning the dry leaves in

a pipe.

Quote from the Tobacco Epidemic, p. 16 (Gary Huber)

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Sir Walter Raleigh perfected a method for curing the tobacco leaf, and helped to

popularize smoking among the upper classes in late 16th century England. A servant

once mistakenly doused him with water, believing him to be on fire.

The Economist, September 15, 1990

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