Tobacco Sieving in Mexico
[1785] (México)
1 sheet, coloured drawing on paper; size 30,7 × 42,5 cm
Spanish
State Archives
General Archive of the Indias
S.41091.AGI//MP-INGENIOS,162
Tobacco had been used by the native peoples of America long before Europeans arrived on their continent. The new arrivals quickly took to it, and tobacco became a very lucrative product as the smoking habit spread across Europe, and on to Japan.
Tobacco was used by the native peoples of America for different purposes and in a variety of contexts. It was a form of currency and could be traded; it was a ceremonial product to consume on special occasions, either political, diplomatic or religious; it was a pain killer and medicine to treat different sorts of ailments, it was also consumed on social occasions, as a form of leisure.
Europeans changed the use of tobacco, in addition to medicine and painkillers, their social function also interested the new consumers. In 1559 the French ambassador in Lisbon, Jean Nicot, sent samples of the new product to France (hence the name nicotine). The demand for tobacco across Europe led to increased cultivation and enhanced preparation techniques, as cigars, cigarettes and other tobacco products came on the market.
The Tobacco estanco was established in Mexico during the second half of the 18th century. It resulted in the creation of a monopoly for the cultivation, production, and trade of tobacco, allowing the state to effectively corner the market. In 1768 the Royal Factory of Cigars of Mexico was the first to be founded in America.