Who originally set up tobacco plantations in the Americas?

The establishment of tobacco plantations in the Americas can largely be attributed to the British. In the early 17th century, particularly in Virginia, the British recognized the economic potential of tobacco as a cash crop. The successful cultivation and export of tobacco played a crucial role in the growth of the British colonies, providing significant revenue and driving the demand for labor, which eventually led to the importation of enslaved Africans to work on these plantations. By establishing a plantation economy based on tobacco, the British laid the foundation for the commercial agricultural practices that would shape the region's economy for years to come.

While other European powers explored and settled in the Americas, it was the British who most effectively developed the tobacco industry in this context.