The Tobacco Lords (or “Virginia Dons”) were Glasgow merchants who in the 18th Century made enormous fortunes by trading in tobacco from Great Britain's American Colonies. Many of them became sufficiently wealthy that they adopted the lifestyle of aristocrats, lavishing vast sums on great houses and splendid churches. Many would suffer severe losses during and after the American Revolution.
Read more about Tobacco Lords: History, American Revolution, Legacy, Notable Tobacco Lords, See Also, References
Famous quotes containing the words tobacco and/or lords:
“There’s nothing quite like tobacco: it’s the passion of decent folk, and whoever lives without tobacco doesn’t deserve to live.”
—Molière [Jean Baptiste Poquelin] (1622–1673)
“[I]n Great-Britain it is said that their constitution relies on the house of commons for honesty, and the lords for wisdom; which would be a rational reliance if honesty were to be bought with money, and if wisdom were hereditary.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)