History of Cigars
When were cigars invented? Cigars were not invented on a single date — their roots reach back more than a thousand years to the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean and Central America. The Maya and the Taíno rolled and smoked bundled tobacco leaves long before Europeans arrived. Columbus's crew first recorded the practice in 1492. So the cigar is ancient, born in the Americas, and far older than any written record of it.
This guide walks through the real history of cigars: who smoked them first, how the word "cigar" came to be, and how tobacco spread from the New World across Europe and into the industrial age.
When were cigars invented?
Cigars were invented by the indigenous peoples of the Americas centuries before European contact, so no exact date exists. Archaeological evidence and early European accounts point to tobacco smoking among the Maya and other Mesoamerican cultures well over a thousand years ago. The Maya are often credited with the earliest cigar-like form: tobacco leaves rolled inside another leaf or wrapper.
Because this history predates written European records, scholars describe the origin as ancient and approximate. There was no inventor and no founding year. Instead, the cigar emerged slowly within native cultures, used in daily life and in ritual and ceremony.
Who invented cigars?
Cigars were first made by Native American peoples, especially the Maya and later the Taíno of the Caribbean. These cultures cultivated tobacco and smoked it in forms that resemble the modern cigar. Tobacco held real meaning for them. It appeared in social gatherings, healing practices, and sacred rituals.
When Christopher Columbus reached the Caribbean in 1492, his crew met the Taíno people. Two of his sailors, often named in historical accounts as Rodrigo de Jerez and Luis de Torres, are said to have witnessed locals smoking rolled tobacco leaves. They were among the first Europeans to record the habit. So Europeans did not invent cigars. They encountered them.
Where did cigars originate?
Cigars originated in the Americas — the Caribbean and Central America — among native tobacco-growing cultures. The plant Nicotiana tabacum is native to this region, and the peoples there had used it for generations.
The word "cigar" likely traces back to the Mayan word "sikar," meaning to smoke rolled tobacco leaves. From there came the Spanish "cigarro," which English speakers later shortened to "cigar." The language itself records the journey from native practice to European adoption.
How tobacco spread to Europe
Tobacco spread from the Americas to Europe in the 1500s, carried home by Spanish and Portuguese explorers and traders. At first it was treated as a curiosity and a medicine. Over the century, smoking gained a following among European elites.
Spain became the early center of European cigar culture. Spanish growers and merchants controlled much of the tobacco trade. Two regions stood out:
- Cuba: A Spanish colony with an ideal climate, Cuba became famous for high-quality tobacco and remains tied to cigars today.
- Spain: The city of Seville grew into an early cigar-making hub, processing tobacco shipped from the colonies.
For centuries, Cuba and Spain shaped what the world thought a fine cigar should be. To understand how politics later complicated that legacy, see why Cuban cigars are illegal in the United States.
How cigars became an industry
Cigar making grew into a true industry in the 1800s. Before then, cigars were rolled by hand in small batches. Rising demand across Europe and the Americas changed that.
Several shifts drove the boom:
- Factories: Large cigar factories opened in Cuba, Spain, and later the United States, especially in Florida.
- Brands: Named cigar brands emerged, building reputations that buyers trusted. The modern Cohiba brand, founded much later in 1966, became one of the most recognized of all.
- Global trade: Steamships and railways carried cigars farther and faster than ever before.
By the late 1800s, the cigar had moved from a native tradition to a worldwide commercial product. Hand-rolling survived as a mark of quality, and it still defines premium cigars today.
Timeline: a short history of cigars
| Era | What happened |
|---|---|
| Over 1,000 years ago | Maya and other native peoples roll and smoke tobacco leaves |
| Pre-1492 | Taíno of the Caribbean continue tobacco-smoking traditions |
| 1492 | Columbus's crew records native tobacco smoking |
| 1500s | Spanish and Portuguese traders carry tobacco to Europe |
| 1500s–1600s | Cuba and Seville, Spain emerge as tobacco centers |
| 1800s | Cigar making industrializes; factories and brands appear |
| Today | Premium cigars still hand-rolled, prized worldwide |
The pattern is clear: an ancient native craft slowly became a global tradition.
Conclusion
When were cigars invented? The honest answer is that cigars were never invented on one day. They grew out of ancient tobacco traditions among the Maya and Taíno of the Americas, long before Columbus's crew described them in 1492. From there, tobacco crossed the Atlantic, took root in Cuba and Spain, and industrialized in the 1800s. The cigar you enjoy today carries more than a thousand years of history. To go deeper into the craft, explore our full cigar history coverage and our roundup of the best cigar brands carrying that tradition forward.
FAQ
When were cigars invented?
Cigars were not invented on a specific date. Native peoples of the Americas, especially the Maya, were smoking rolled tobacco leaves more than a thousand years ago — long before Columbus's crew first recorded the practice in 1492.
Who invented cigars?
The indigenous peoples of the Americas invented cigars, with the Maya and later the Taíno credited as the earliest cigar smokers. Europeans did not invent cigars; they encountered them in the Caribbean in 1492.
Where does the word "cigar" come from?
The word "cigar" likely comes from the Mayan word "sikar," meaning to smoke rolled tobacco. That became the Spanish "cigarro," which English speakers shortened to "cigar."
When did cigars come to Europe?
Cigars and tobacco reached Europe in the 1500s, brought back by Spanish and Portuguese explorers. Spain, especially Seville, became an early center of European cigar making.
When did cigar making become an industry?
Cigar making industrialized in the 1800s, when factories in Cuba, Spain, and the United States began large-scale production and named brands emerged. Premium cigars are still hand-rolled today.