Which crop was the first cash crop of colonial Virginia?

Tobacco was the first cash crop of colonial Virginia, significantly influencing the colony's economy and social structure. Introduced in the early 17th century, tobacco cultivation quickly became the backbone of Virginia's economy due to its high market value in Europe. The demand for tobacco increased as it became popular in England, leading to a rapid expansion of tobacco plantations throughout the colony.

The success of tobacco as a cash crop not only brought wealth to Virginia planters but also shaped labor practices, leading to the establishment of a system that relied on enslaved African labor to meet the intensive labor requirements of its cultivation. This shift had lasting impacts on the social and economic landscape of not just Virginia, but the entire Southern economy in the years to come.

In contrast, while corn, rice, and wheat were grown in colonial Virginia, they did not achieve the same level of economic significance or international demand as tobacco during this period, making tobacco the clear and defining cash crop of colonial Virginia.