JOHN ROLFE THE GRANDFATHER OF AMERICAS TOBACCO INDUSTRY John Rolfe is known for introducing tobacco as a commercial crop to Virginia colonists in 1610. His application of the Law of Adaptation, along with other settlers, ultimately shaped the tobacco industry, which became the backbone of America’s economy for the next century and a half. The Law of Adaptation is about adapting or acclimating to a situation rather than planning for one. People have an extraordinary ability to adapt to any condition. A person rarely changes when they want, or even need to, but they generally make the changes necessary only when they have to, forced to take immediate action to survive the immediate situation at hand. John Rolfe and his band of settlers had somehow tapped into the Law of Adaptation or acclimation. There was no plan, but they went into total adaptation mode, for their survival was at stake. They were forced to do so or end up becoming dead like most of the settlers who arrived before them. Rolfe planted South American tobacco seeds in the fertile soil in Jamestown, which became ready for harvest within a period of two years. Doing this was not allowed by the Spanish empire, for they desired a monopoly in tobacco, and it was punishable by death, but Rolfe was a rebel who didn’t care.
The first large harvest produced by those seeds was worth a million dollars in today’s money. He also married the daughter of the king of the Powhatan empire and helped broker peace between the settlers and the natives. She was none other than the legendary Pocahontas. Rolfe made her a celebrity by getting her face on a portrait, which sold all over England as part of his advertising efforts. Not only did this attract more settlers, but the rich in England started investing money into Jamestown, which in turn was used to make more tobacco. Within the span of a few years, Jamestown transformed from a living hell into a boomtown. Rolfe and his fellow settlers used their ingenuity, entrepreneurial and pioneering spirit to turn things around, but more importantly, they fully applied the Law of Adaptation. America was essentially founded on tobacco, and that became its biggest export for at least the next 150 years. The foundation of America is based on the Law of Adaptation itself and all those who practiced it 400 plus years ago. This is why we must practice it in our own lives the same way John Rolfe and his fellow settlers did, for we never know how our actions and the businesses we create today through the application of that law shall influence future generations. Everything we do reverberates through space and time, and we should always be prepared to adapt to changing circumstances to achieve success.
Indraneel Cosmos Samaddar is an Entrepreneur, Investor, and is also the host of the podcast Extraordinary America. He believes that the path to Financial Freedom is by educating and transforming ourselves into entrepreneurs and Investors with morals, values and ethics. Website: https://extraordinary-america.com/
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