Tobacco War

In the world of Tobacco War, we find a multitude of fascinating aspects that invite us to explore, analyze and understand. Tobacco War is an exciting topic that covers a wide range of disciplines and fields of study, offering endless possibilities for those who wish to delve into its knowledge. Whether Tobacco War is in history, science, technology, culture or any other field, its influence and relevance are undeniable. In this article, we will delve into the fascinating world of Tobacco War, exploring its origins, developments and impacts on the world today. Join us on this journey of discovery and learning about Tobacco War.
Tobacco War
Part of the American Revolutionary War
Date1780–1781
Location
Virginia
Result destruction of 10,000 hogsheads of tobacco
liberation of enslaved people
Belligerents
 United States  Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
Charles Cornwallis, Benedict Arnold, William Phillips

The Tobacco War (1780–1781) occurred during the American Revolutionary War in Virginia when the British forces commanded by generals Cornwallis, Phillips, and Arnold, burned the colonists' tobacco. About 10,000 hogsheads of cured tobacco leaf were destroyed by the British.[1] Each hogshead weighed about 1,000 lb (450 kg).[2] The British wanted to win in the southern colonies by causing steep economic losses.[3] They also wished to entirely disrupt the tobacco industry because the colonists used the tobacco trade to fund their war effort against Britain. This complemented existing efforts by the British Royal Navy to seize shipments of tobacco leaving American ports.[4]

General Benedict Arnold attempted to bargain with the colonists for their tobacco. Once in Richmond, Virginia in January 1781, Benedict Arnold wrote a letter to Virginia governor Thomas Jefferson, asking him to surrender the city's tobacco supplies in exchange for British forces not destroying the city. Jefferson did not negotiate with Arnold or turn over the tobacco.[5] The troops led by Phillips burned about 8,000 hogsheads of tobacco in Petersburg, Manchester, Blandford, and Osborne.[6] In addition to burning the colonists' curing barns and tobacco fields, British forces also freed the enslaved people held by the colonists. Some of the scorched tobacco fields and thirty of the enslaved people freed[7] belonged to Thomas Jefferson, who wrote that it was a "useless and barbarous injury".[3] The Tobacco War represented the "last gasp of a floundering army", and did not significantly impact the trajectory of the Revolutionary War.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ Andreas, Peter (2019). "Drugs and War: What is the Relationship?". Annual Review of Political Science. 22: 57–73. doi:10.1146/annurev-polisci-051017-103748.
  2. ^ "1730 – 1985 Petersburg's Tobacco Industry". Historic Petersburg Foundation. 6 November 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b Meinking, Mary (2014). Cash Crop to Cash Cow: The History of Tobacco and Smoking in America. Simon and Schuster. pp. 42–44. ISBN 9781422299531.
  4. ^ Stoner, Michael J. (2005). Britain and the Americas: Culture, Politics, and History. Abc-Clio. p. 969. ISBN 9781851094318.
  5. ^ Kollatz, Harry (1 July 2004). "You Say You Want a Revolution?". Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  6. ^ Frey, Sylvia R. (1983). "Between Slavery and Freedom: Virginia Blacks in the American Revolution". The Journal of Southern History. 49 (3): 375–398. doi:10.2307/2208101. JSTOR 2208101.
  7. ^ "Elkhill". Monticello. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  8. ^ Burns, Eric (2006). The Smoke of the Gods: A Social History of Tobacco. Temple University Press. p. 95. ISBN 1592134823.
Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia