CENTURIES OF HISTORY 



Ti 



he Smoking Fathers 



In 1630, when the noted Puritan, John Winthrop, 

 arrived in Massacliusetts there were several settlements 

 other than Plymouth where tobacco was being grown. 

 The plots set aside for this agriculture were originally 

 intended only to provide enough of the leaf for the 

 personal needs of the growers. Then, under the influence 

 of Virginia's notable commercial success with tobacco, 

 farmers began to expand the culture in the expectation 

 that they could produce enough to establish an export 

 trade. 



Winthrop, the first regularly elected governor of the 

 colony and regarded as its most important member, was 

 long a devoted smoker. But, together with many of his 

 fellow colonists, he rejected the native Indian leaf and 

 gave no encouragement to that grown by the settlers. 

 Records show imports of Virginia-grown tobacco via 

 England directly to the governor, and a shipment from 

 Barbados in 1637 very possibly for him and his smoking 

 circle. 



c 



rop control 



The holders of the charter to England's second perma- 

 nent North American colony had no enthusiasm about 



15 



