Paul Revere, the icon of resistance to British rule in colonial Boston, getting drunk off of rum after stopping at the Medford Tavern? George Washington’s army at Valley Forge saved by bread baked in portable ovens – a German invention, rather than shad in the Schuylkill River? Dave DeWitt brings together fact and fiction from colonial kitchens and the men whose tavern deliberations caused and sustained the American Revolution in Founding Foodies: How Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin Revolutionized American Cuisine (Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks, 2010, 316 pages),
Food Diversity in Colonial America
Many colonial-era foods were localized; New England was the prime producer of cod, for example. Corn was grown everywhere and few colonials didn’t recognize hominy – ground corn already used in Native American foods like “Johnny cake.” According to author DeWitt, It would take some persuading by Franklin and Jefferson to demonstrate the virtues of corn to their European hosts.
Despite diversity, everyone drank large qualities of rum, beer (“porter”), and wine. After the war, whiskey became the spirit of choice. DeWitt’s book contains numerous recipes for alcohol aficionados like the Run Flip or Medford Rum Punch. Chapter Seven begins with recipes for “A Classic Colonial Drinking Party.”
DeWitt writes that, “The early rum imports were ominously called kill-devil because of the warnings of teetotalers that rum was a poison that could lead to death.” Kill devil was West Indian Rum. One early legend for the North Carolina town Kill Devil Hills refers to ships wrecking on the Outer Banks and spilling their rum cargoes onto the shore. The rum, it was said, was strong enough “to kill the devil.”
Tavern Life in Colonial America
DeWitt notes various taverns that offered drink and food as well as a nights lodging, with beds often shared by strangers. In December 1773, Sons of Liberty, goaded on their mission to dump the newly arrived tea in Boston, heard the voice of a nearly inebriated John Hancock bellowing out of the Green Dragon Inn. In Philadelphia, the largest colonial port, early Congressmen and Revolutionary War leaders met at the City Tavern. Writing about taverns, DeWitt notes that, “They were a welcome retreat from rustic colonial homes, transforming eating and drinking into public activities and fostering political action.”
His section on tavern fare includes Hannah Glasse’s Side of Roast Beef and Terrapin Soup (turtle soup made from the large, meaty turtles that inhabited the Chesapeake and were nearly hunted to extinction). In the tavern basements short-legged dogs were trained to turn a wheel that roasted the beef or fowl destined to be on the menu that night.
Innovations at Mount Vernon – From Tobacco to Whiskey
Much of the book is devoted to George Washington’s Mount Vernon and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Washington, like Jefferson, had difficulties making a profit through agriculture. DeWitt notes Washington’s barter system with neighbors, often trading whiskey produced at Mount Vernon. Washington, like Jefferson, entertained lavishly and the list of breakfast and dinner selections is immense.
DeWitt’s Treatment of Thomas Jefferson
Founding Foodies focuses on Jefferson in the latter chapters. Jefferson’s contribution to American history includes mention of other definitive sources such as Dining at Monticello. Jefferson, however, comes across as a wine glutton, addicted to French cooking, and willing to discard people such as his former slave and chef, James Hemings. Seemingly in debt most of his life, Jefferson’s treatment is not favorable.
Recipes and Historical Eateries
Chapter Seven is a re-creation of many popular recipes, organized according to geographic locations. The list includes recipes for Classic Clam Chowder, Boston Baked Beans, Hot Potato Salad, Spicy Pumpkin Soup, Lafayette’s Favorite Herb Omelet, and numerous dishes prepared by and for Southern slaves. DeWitt also includes a short list of colonial-era restaurants like the King’s Arms Tavern in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.
Founding Foodies is entertaining, educational and not for the empty stomach. The reader will be tempted to experiment with the given recipes, adding to the pleasure of tasting food selections that were probably on the table at Mount Vernon when George and Martha Washington entertained the constant flow of visitors making their way to the home of the preeminent founding father. Founding Foodies represents a highly readable addition to a field of colonial-era history that is infrequently studied and written about.
Founding Foodies website
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