own administration. After the Revolution, in 1790, 

 Congress organized the area into "The Territory of the 

 United States South of the River Ohio," or, as it was 

 commonly called, Southwest Territory before it was 

 annexed as the state of Tennessee. 



During this colonial period, waves of ambitious mi- 

 grants crossed the Appalachian Mountains from the 

 East and moved into Tennessee through the Cumber- 

 land Gap and the Tennessee Valley. With them, the 

 settlers brought their various trades and agricultural 

 practices. 



Throughout its history and growth, tobacco has 

 played an important part in the development of the 

 state. Its seeds arrived with the first settlers. Its culti- 

 vation spread rapidly throughout the area and has since 

 become the livelihood for thousands of Tennessee farm 

 families. Tobacco culture has created jobs in manu- 

 facturing, processing and myriad other industries re- 

 lated to the tobacco industry. Tobacco sales over retail 

 counters have added millions of dollars in excise taxes 

 to both state and federal treasuries. 



The importance of tobacco to Tennessee is enormous. 

 Its history and development have had a definite eco- 

 nomic and political impact upon the state. The follow- 

 ing pages offer a contemporary and historical montage 

 of tobacco's importance to the state; outlining how and 

 why the impact of tobacco there has been so important. 



