Tobacco in the Piedmont

Tobacco in the Piedmont. President James K. Polk State Historic Site. , From the 17th through early 18th centuries, tobacco quality in the Carolinas was poor. This was attributed mainly to the thin soil in the area. As a result, tobacco grown in the Carolinas was typically traded locally to supply the need for snuff and pipe tobacco.

Interstate trade among Piedmont farmers was challenging, as North Carolina's main export center was located Edenton. Farmers ran the risk of their goods being lost, damaged or delayed due to the challenging route to the coast, which was characterized by rocks, narrow waterways, waterfalls and rapids. Despite a 1679 trade ban, some Piedmont farmers opted to send their goods north toward Virginia due to quality trade routes.

In 1731, the tobacco trade ban between North Carolina and Virginia and was lifted. At this time, Mecklenburg County was a major trading center in the state. Charlotte was the seat of the county court, so farmers from near and far brought their goods crops to the city on a regular basis. Goods and crops were also transported to port cities like Roanoke, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; and Edenton and Wilmington, North Carolina. From those cities, tobacco was then exported to Europe, where it was considered a luxury.

During the 18th century, European consumers demanded a milder, lighter flavored tobacco (in contrast to the dark and robust flavor they were used to). Mild yellow leaves grew fairly well in the Carolina Piedmont due to the thin, less nutrient soil. It is likely that the Polk family grew leaves of this sort between the late 18th to early 19th centuries.