Tobacco Can

Copper tobacco can believed to have belonged to Patrick Henry.

Smoking tobacco was popular well into the 18th century, and boxes such as this one served to store and keep dried tobacco fresh, as well as protect it from being crushed. They were often crafted in a rectangular or oval shape and made from cheap metals such as brass or copper. The decorations on the outside allude to the character of its owner, and this being a plain one would have reflected Patrick Henry and his simple lifestyle.

Tobacco was a lucrative crop cultivated by Patrick Henry on his plantations, such as the one he received through Sarah Shelton's dowry, Piney Slash. It provided not only a 300-acre farm but a house and six enslaved people as well. However, with its exhausted soil from previous harvests, Patrick saw little success with his tobacco yields here. To add to his hardships, the house burned in 1757, taking most of his and Sarah's possessions with it.