Tobacco was first discovered by the native people of Mesoamerica and South America and later introduced to Europe and the rest of the world. It had already been used for long in the Americas by the time European settlers arrived and introduced the practice to Europe, where it became popular.

Eastern North American tribes have historically carried tobacco in pouches as a readily accepted trade item, as well as smoking it in the pipe ceremonies; whether for sacred ceremonies or to seal a treaty or agreement. Tobacco is considered a gift from the Creator and the tobacco smoke is seen as carrying one’s thoughts and prayers to the spirits.

On October 15, 1492, Christopher Columbus was offered “certain dried leaves which gave off a distinct fragrance” as a gift from the indigenous Arawaks that he encountered in the Bahamas, or Gran Turk Island. Soon, the Spanish introduced tobacco to Europeans around 1528, and it quickly became a popular culture all over Europe.