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Tobacco wives were women who chose to immigrate from England to the American New World in the 17th Century and were purchased by their Colonial husbands with tobacco. Before these women were shipped over to Jamestown, Virginia, there were only men working and building upon the new land and therefore no chance of population growth. Tobacco wives are also known as mail order brides, king's daughters, casket girls, and Jamestown brides. They were well respected and happy to be in the New World. Like their colonial husbands, most shipped themselves overseas in search of opportunity and adventure. The first shipment of women was in 1620, and any man could purchase a partner's travel fees with 120 pounds of tobacco.

Why They Were Needed

Tobacco wives were entirely necessary for the creation, evolution and success of the American New World. The original (male) colonists of Jamestown, Virginia did not intend to stay in America. These men traveled overseas with high hopes to establish wealth, honorable names, and nothing more. They intended to head back to England after a few years of hard work in America. This made it nearly impossible for the colony of Jamestown to grow and prosper. Without permanent settlers, there were few opportunities for relationships (both economic and personal) to build. Most men intended to leave America after several years, while others wound up deserting the colony in other ways (for example marrying a Native American woman and becoming a part of her tribe). Once the shipment of mail order brides was sent over, however, things started looking up. When a Jamestown colonist married an English woman like a tobacco wife, he was able to settle down with a steady family and home. Traveling back to England became harder once the connections and relationships were made in Jamestown, and the travel fares became more expensive for new fathers. This made it much harder for such men to travel back to England and encouraged them to expand Virginia life.

The Benefits of Becoming a Tobacco Wife

Immigrating to the New World was not an easy thing to do. Many women enjoyed life in England and preferred to leave the colonizing for more the adventurous people. Tobacco wives may not have necessarily ‘’wanted’’ to make the long journey to a completely new world of hard work and little play, so recruiters needed incentives. Each woman to take part in the adventure was guaranteed the essential items for domestic life (for example, sheets, aprons, petticoats). They were also guaranteed free transportation services overseas and living conditions until they found a husband of approval. The women were promised that their eligible bachelors would not only be freemen, but also wealthy enough to maintain a comfortable standard of living. On top of all that, each married couple was guaranteed a servant so that the women would feel a sense of good class ranking. With such benefits, some women found themselves wanting to take the journey to the New World because their standard of living seemed higher on the other side of the Atlantic.

Tobacco as a currency

These young women sent to the colonists to become wives were purchased when their fiancé's payed their transportation charges with tobacco. The colonies had not yet formed their own currency, so their economies were based off tobacco trade. The more tobacco one man grew, the more wealth and prestige he had. Because of this sense of value; employers, soldiers, indentured servants, clergymen, and even government officials were paid with tobacco.Later on, the currency evolved into a system of tobacco notes, which were signed pieces of paper used like the modern day check. Instead of trading leaves or pounds of raw tobacco, the notes would have a certain quantity and quality of currency. Notes were not developed until the 18th century, but the system came about to make trading tobacco easier.