Instructor: John Karas is a graduate of The University of Toledo and has taught at Harper College in Illinois. His lifelong interest in history led him to become a member of the 250 Committee preparing for and educating about the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. Description: Tobacco Road looks at the history of tobacco, its usage, its cultivation and its economic impact, including helping to finance America’s Revolutionary War. Of course, no history of tobacco can be studied without taking a look at Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Old Salem and RJ Reynolds' impact on the tobacco industry.