1620day.year
English crown bans tobacco growing in England, giving the Virginia Company a monopoly in exchange for tax of one shilling per pound.
King James I bans tobacco cultivation in England and grants a monopoly to the Virginia Company in 1620.
In 1620, James I issued a royal decree prohibiting tobacco growing in England to protect the profits of overseas colonies.
The Virginia Company received exclusive rights to produce and sell tobacco, paying a tax of one shilling per pound.
This monopoly aimed to boost colonial revenues and encourage settlement in Virginia.
Tobacco quickly became a cash crop central to the economy of the English colonies.
The regulation shaped trade patterns, leading to increased smuggling and disputes over tax enforcement.
It also solidified tobacco’s role as a staple of European consumption and colonial wealth.
1620
tobacco growing in England
Virginia Company