RALEIGH (WTVD) -- In the 1800s, North Carolina struggled to find its place in the economy as farmers were met with difficulty growing crops, as a result of inadequate soil.
It was a slave who first used charcoal to cure tobacco, resulting in a type of tobacco, known as Brightleaf.
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It turned out that this technique was ideal for tobacco plants grown in the dry, sandy North Carolina soil.
This innovative process served as the catalyst that launched the state into a tobacco-producing giant.
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More recently, the tobacco industry has suffered due to increased regulations, and uncertainty, with the emergence of the e-cigarette.
Despite these challenges, North Carolina continues to rank as the highest tobacco-producing state in the country.