USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -In 1614, they began to trade their tobacco for money and supplies. People in England loved it. Tobacco became Virginia’s “gold.” It wasn’t actually gold, but selling tobacco made the colony wealthy.

Detailed explanation-2: -However, like other colonies before and after it, Jamestown nearly did not survive save for the introduction of one agricultural crop: tobacco.

Detailed explanation-3: -Colonists only grew corn and wheat for use by their families. Other crops were grown, but mostly for individual consumption.

Detailed explanation-4: -“A custome lothsome to the eye, hatefull to the Nose, ” was King James I’s view of smoking tobacco but this small seed saved Virginia. Colonist John Rolfe brought the seeds of sweeter tobacco to Jamestown in 1610, and from this microscopic item came the first major crop of the English Atlantic trade.

Detailed explanation-5: -With the experiments of John Rolfe, the colony finally discovered a staple product–tobacco. The colonists wanted to plant tobacco because it was a cash crop, even though the King opposed the use of the weed.