Comprehensive Smoking Education Act - History of Tobacco

History of Tobacco

The history of tobacco dates back to 600 through 900 A.D. from carvings by the Mayans. They were growing tobacco before the Europeans arrived in North America. Tobacco was primarily used for religious and medicinal purposes before 1612, the year that it because North American's most lucrative cash crop. Tobacco was used in Native American religious ceremonies as a peace pipe. Two tribe leaders would smoke a peace pipe to symbolize the new peaceful relations that would be held between the tribes. It was as binding as a written contract. Tobacco was also believed to be a cure-all, and was used to dress wounds and was also used as a pain killer. Chewing tobacco was believed to relieve the pain of a toothache.