According to the archaeological record, tobacco was first domesticated in the Andes of South America thousands of years ago. Some scholars believe its domestication predated and possibly laid the foundation for the farming of corn and other agricultural crops.
By the time of European Contact, Indigenous communities throughout North and South America were using tobacco for ritual, medicinal and ceremonial purposes. It was regarded by Native Peoples as a substance embodying great power.
Archaeological findings in Connecticut suggest the smoking of tobacco was introduced to Connecticut’s Native Peoples by the Midwestern Adena People.
Sources: Connecticut’s Indigenous People, Lucianne Lavin ; PNAS, pnas.org
Image courtesy of Smithonian Magazine