The Story behind Cigars and Tobacco

Today, cigars have become so much a part of life that people do not even give it even a brief thought. However, the story behind the origin of cigars is extremely interesting to say the least. Most people all over the world are of the opinion that cigars first originated in Spain. However, research reveals that the tobacco, which is used in the cigars, was a native of American continents. The people in these parts have been growing tobacco for more than hundred years. The history of tobacco can be traced way back up to the Maya civilization which was present in the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico. Several other parts especially of Central America have been growing tobacco for ages and there are also signs of people smoking tobacco then. Studies reveal that tobacco spread far in all the directions and among various tribes that existed in that era. Historians believe that in the United States, the tribe along the banks of the Mississippi river was the first to use tobacco. When Christopher Columbus made his famous voyage and discovered America in 1492, the entire world came to know of an ingredient called tobacco.

The story of the spread of tobacco is equally interesting. When Columbus discovered America, he found the natives using tobacco very freely on a large scale. He did not like the tobacco or its use among the locals. However, tobacco became gradually popular among other sailors. After this, it was not long before tobacco spread to other countries of the world. Tobacco reached up to countries like Spain and Portugal and then to the cultural paradise of France. The French link to tobacco is evident in the scientific name of tobacco. The then ambassador of France Jean Nicot gave his name to the scientific name of tobacco which is Nicotiana Tabacum. The origin of the name "tobacco" still remains a mystery. However, some theories suggest that the name "tobacco" comes from the word Tobago, which is the name of an island in the Caribbeans. A few other researches suggest that the name "tobacco" comes from the word Tabasco which is the name of a state in Mexico.

The United States too plays its part in the history of tobacco. The very first tobacco plantation was made in the state of Virginia in the United States way back in 1612. After this, there were several subsequent plantations in the region of Maryland and tobacco became a part of American way of life. Initially, tobacco was smoked only through pipes as the concept of cigars had not come up till then. Cigars were introduced in the United States in the late 18th century. The US was introduced to cigars by an army general called Israel Putnam who played a part in the Revolutionary War. During the war, Putnam happened to go to Cuba where he came across the famous Cuban cigars. He brought along a box of these Cuban cigars back home to America. The cigars became very popular in the US. Finally, this led to the commencement of several cigar factories in the US region of Harford, Connecticut which was home to Putnam.

In. Europe, cigars took a long time to firmly establish their roots. Cigars became extremely popular only after the Peninsular War in the early 19th century. The British and the French generals who spent a long time in countries like Spain serving the armed forces, returned home with their favorite tobacco pipes or cigars. During that period cigars became a thing which was generally associated with the rich people or with the celebrities. Till today, cigars are considered as a status symbol.