What motivated English settlers in the Chesapeake to work hard in the tobacco fields in the 1600s?

Economic reasons encouraged tobacco production in the Chesapeake, as it became a highly profitable business.

Explanation:

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English settlers settled in the current state of Virginia in 1607, when they founded the city of Jamestown.

In 1612, an English settler named John Rolfe planted his first harvest. The following year, he sent a part (200 pounds) to England.

The tobacco produced in Virginia began to be marketed successfully in England. This caused its high demand, and consequently, its high price. Soon, tobacco became the main crop of the colony, above the corn or other food source.

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