Tobacco, peasants economy and capitalism in los Montes de Maria, 1850-1930

The history of tobacco export expansion in the sub-region of Montes de Maria, also known by the names of Serrania de San Jacinto and Sierra Mary, with its center in the former province of Carmen de Bolivar in the Colombian Caribbean, has the feature the peculiar fact of the association between capital and peasant economy. Unlike tobacco Andean centers as Ambalema (Tolima), where the capital is associated with land ownership in the ranch. Our research examines the historical circumstances that explain this fact in a regional economy that produces snuff black leaf for export in the overall context of a region like the north coast of Colombia where the large estates and finances have been so much weight on the economy agricultural and social problems.