| You might think that the world's first cigars | | | | tobacco itself has a disputed origin, though |
| were rolled in Spain, or that the philosophic | | | | the majority of people now believe that it is |
| French were the very first to wax existential | | | | simply a corruption of the name of a |
| over cigarette smoke, but before there were | | | | Caribbean island, Tobago. Some others contend |
| any cigars or cigarettes in the old world, | | | | that it originates from Tabasco, a region of |
| tobacco had to be brought in from the new | | | | Mexico. |
| one. Tobacco is a plant that was originally | | | | |
| found only in North and South America, where | | | | The first tobacco to be commercially |
| native Americans have cultivated it for | | | | cultivated in the United States was planted |
| hundreds, if not thousands, of years. | | | | in the state of Virginia in 1612. Very soon |
| | | | thereafter plantations popped up in Maryland |
| The Indigenous Mayans of the Mexican Yucatan | | | | and elsewhere. At this point, people smoked |
| peninsula grew tobacco plants, and there is | | | | their tobacco mostly in pipes. It wasn't |
| evidence showing that they smoked it in ways | | | | until the late 18th century that cigars began |
| similar to the way we do today. From its | | | | to be smoked in the United States. The person |
| origins in Mexico, tobacco use spread from | | | | who is said to have brought cigar smoking to |
| tribe to tribe, to the north and to the | | | | the US is Israel Putnam. Putnam served in the |
| south. Historians now believe that the first | | | | Revolutionary War as a general, but |
| tobacco use in what is now the United States | | | | afterwards, and more importantly for |
| occurred along the banks of the Mississippi | | | | posterity, he traveled to Cuba and smoked the |
| river. And it wasn't until Christopher | | | | cigars that were made there. On returning to |
| Columbus famously ran into Central America | | | | the US he brought back a box of those cigars |
| while looking for India that Europe and Asia | | | | with him. Almost overnight cigars were |
| became acquainted with tobacco and its uses. | | | | smoked everywhere and soon cigar factories |
| | | | popped up, significantly in the area around |
| When he arrived in the Caribbean, Columbus | | | | Putnam's hometown of Hartford, Connecticut. |
| was apparently not a very big fan of the | | | | |
| flavor of tobacco, and was not keen on the | | | | Cigars weren't very popular in Europe until |
| way the people he encountered used it to | | | | the Peninsula War that occurred in the |
| smoke. His sailors, though, thought the stuff | | | | beginning of the 19th century. The soldiers |
| was amazing and started to smoke it | | | | of Britain and France who fought in Spain |
| themselves. When they returned to Spain, they | | | | during the war brought back tobacco and pipes |
| brought tobacco back with them and shared it | | | | with them to their homelands, and soon, |
| with people back home. It spread through the | | | | again, tobacco use in those countries was |
| county like wildfire. And it wasn't long | | | | prevalent. But it was among the fashionable |
| before the French too were lighting up. | | | | upper classes that cigar smoking took hold. |
| Incidentally, it is from the name of the | | | | Even today, smoking cigars is something that |
| French ambassador to Spain, Jean Nicot, that | | | | is associated with the luxury and discernment |
| the scientific name for tobacco Nicotiana | | | | afforded to those with discerning tastes and |
| tabacum and the word nicotine comes. The word | | | | the means to satisfy them. |