Tobacco
Definition
A cash crop that was grown primarily in the Southern colonies of North America during the 17th and 18th centuries. It played a significant role in the economy of these colonies.
Analogy
Think of tobacco like the "gold" of the Southern colonies. Just as gold drove people to rush to California in 1849, tobacco drew settlers to Virginia and other southern regions because it was highly profitable.
Related terms
Cash Crop: A crop produced for its commercial value rather than for use by the grower.
Indentured Servitude: A system where an individual works without pay for a certain period of time under a contract, often used by many early Virginia settlers to pay for their passage to the New World.
Colonial Economy: The economic practices and industries of America's colonial era, which included agriculture (like tobacco farming), manual labor-based production, and trade.
"Tobacco" appears in:
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