During Bacon's Rebellion, why did mass consumption of tobacco from colonies affect the decreasing price? (4th edit)

>>>>>Colonies amount of tobacco consumption throughout the 1600’s, caused a decrease in total cost of tobacco. A number of authors and historians have suggested that here are many reasons for Bacon’s Rebellion. Many contributions caused the price of tobacco to decrease, for instance, tobacco taxation, production and health reasons. Though these all connect to the cause of tobacco’s decreasing price, supply and demand has the greatest effect.
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>>>>>In the Chesapeake, the cost of tobacco became affordable to both the rich and the poor. The Virginia Company started to produce and trade tobacco which attracted indulgence of tobacco. At first, the "...Virginia Company had no plans to grow and sell tobacco [,]" (Roark pg.77) however, “John Rolfe… planted West Indian tobacco seeds in 1612 and learned they flourished in Virginia” (Roark pg.77). Since the amount of tobacco produced increased, tobacco became affordable to a wider range of people, not just the wealthy. Tobacco "...became an affordable indulgence used often by many people" (Roark pg.77). Due to affordability colonists slaves and Native Americans became consumed in tobacco. Tobacco became more appealing to those who could afford it, giving all people the option to smoke tobacco. Some colonists said, “[e]veryone smokes while working or idling" (Roark pg.77).
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>>>>>Tobacco farming caused a major effect on settlers and land, during Bacon’s Rebellion. The demand for land, to grow tobacco was very important to Bacon’s Rebellion, without land there was less growth of tobacco crops, however this did cause invasion on Native American lands. There was such a large demand for tobacco and for hard labor from the settlers, so they could produce enough tobacco to meet the demand. As the demand for tobacco increased, production of enough tobacco crops was important. This demand to keep up with caused harder work for the settlers. The "...planters grew as much tobacco as possible” (Roark pg.77). The planters whom were overworked consisted mostly of indentures servants and slaves, both black and white. It was said that “the English settlers worked hard because their labor promised greater rewards…” (Roark pg.77). The hard work from these settlers meant that they received certain rewards for their work, such as land or time taken off of their indentured servitude. Having enough land was vital for planters to grow enough tobacco. Colonists cleared lands, to plant tobacco crop in a unique way. The colonists cleared lands to plant tobacco by clearing all trees but leaving the stumps, and planting around them. The American Promise by James L. Roark says that “Girdling brought sunlight to clearing but left fields studded with tree stumps, making the use of plows impractical” (Roark pg. 77). “Girdling” is a process where the colonists cut a ring around the tree, eventually causing the tree to die. This process allowed for more room planters could use to produce the tobacco crop.
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>>>>>In the 1600’s, tobacco was traded in many different ways to many different colonies. The increase in trade and demand affected the cost of tobacco, causing the price to decrease. Tobacco was mostly traded from the Chesapeake to the Europeans. English colonists traded tobacco with Europe, which was sold mostly in European markets. “…English colonists in North America sent so much tobacco to European markets that it became an affordable indulgence used often by many people” (Roark pg.77). The cost of the tobacco colonists grew and sold to Europe, was Europe’s decided cost. “The colonists grew tobacco to sell to [Europe], but [Europe] set the price” (Zinn and Stefoff pg. 39). With the price set by the Europeans, the colonists could grow the tobacco then sell it to them with a price less than they expected. Trade was an important way for colonists to sell tobacco.
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>>>>>Colonists in the Chesapeake also consumed large amounts of tobacco because physicians and doctors told the settlers that smoking was good for their health. These doctors and physicians said that smoking tobacco was an herbal way to “cleanse” your body. Though some settlers did not believe that this was true, they believed it was harmful to their bodies and to their own health. The American Promise by James L. Roark commented that in the early 1600’s “physicians praised it as a wonder drug.” These people called it a “holy drug” in which you could be cured by.
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>>>>> Americans today tend to believe that consuming tobacco is good for your health. Consuming tobacco has been quite popular now days, however, we now have strict laws and there are more harmful effects caused by the use of tobacco. Tobacco consumption has been booming, in recent times. Due to popular demand, use of tobacco has increased dramatically. Throughout the last decade, unlike the Chesapeake, tobacco prices have increased. Tobacco is sold with a “Sin tax” which is a tax levied on specific goods. This tax has increased the cost of tobacco which is causing it to become more and more expensive. Recently we have had tougher laws towards smoking because of the effects of secondhand smoke on non-smokers. Recent laws have prohibited smokers from smoking within 25ft of a building and in public places; the Washington State Legislature passed the law, RCW 70.160.030, which states that “No person may smoke in a public place or in any place of employment.” Tobacco also has very harmful effects which are more harmful to your body, than in the Chesapeake times. A lifetime or less of smoking can cause cancers and lung diseases. Within tobacco, makers have included additives to cigarettes, causing people to become more addicted. Truth.com says that "Because of the tobacco industry’s products, about 339 people in the U.S. die of lung cancer every day" (Truth facts). They also say that “[i]n the U.S., 34,693 people die each year from cancers other than lung, trachea, and bronchus caused by smoking" (Truth facts). These long term effects severely cause trauma to the human body and eventually may cause death.
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>>>>>Tobacco prices had become affordable to everyone, not only the riches. Since these prices decreased and it became an affordable indulgence, settlers became more addicted to smoking tobacco. This action was caused by a supply and demand effect, of producing and using tobacco. Because of this supply and demand, there was an influx of decreasing prices in tobacco during the 1600’s. Along with most authors, I agree, that these reasons were all significant during Bacon’s Rebellion.
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Citations:

- Tobacco and Slaves: The Development of Southern Cultures in the Chesapeake, 1680-1800. By Allan Kulikoff
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=NCvU9_bj-1QC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=Bacon%27s+Rebellion+tobacco+consumption&ots=AxtdkPGJKd&sig=kKrpNAWlGMfwQK1Bsm11x3f1Mhc

- http://www.thetruth.com/facts/facts.cfm?category=135

-http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=70.160.030