Existing comment:
Keeping Up Appearances
Following the established economic system of his day, Washington grew his tobacco in Virginia but had to sell it in Great Britain. Packing the cash crop in great wooden barrels known as hogsheads, he shipped it across the ocean, where middlemen sold it for textiles, farm supplies, and luxury goods.
Ultimately, Washington decided to abandon both tobacco and the system. Tobacco ruined his land, and the system saddled him with overpriced merchandise and crushing debt. He soon began seeking better ways to make money. |