Eleanor Finch
The Founding Fathers, like many political figures, often discussed their ideas in taverns over food and drinks. The types of sweets available during the drafting of the Constitution were limited as transportation infrastructure was not yet developed enough to deliver foods from faraway lands. The Founding Fathers, who were from various parts of the East Coast, ate a variety of regional favourites, including seafood, legumes, produce, and anything that could be foraged or hunted. They also had access to sweeteners such as maple syrup, honey, and molasses, which were used in cooking and baking. Thomas Jefferson, in particular, had a sweet tooth and is credited with popularizing ice cream.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Sweeteners | Maple sugar, honey, molasses, birch syrup, sugar beet |
| Sweet Dishes | Apple pandowdy, apple pie, ice cream, crème brulee, pumpkin pie, crabmeat casseroles, oyster gumbos, salmon mousse, macaroni and cheese, frites, champagne |
| People with a Sweet Tooth | Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin |
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What You'll Learn
Founding Fathers enjoyed a sweet tooth
The Founding Fathers of the United States were known to have a sweet tooth, with a variety of sweet treats available to them despite the lack of transportation infrastructure in colonial America. Walter Staib, executive chef at Philadelphia's City Tavern, notes that the Founding Fathers were America's earliest foodies, eating what was available locally, including legumes, produce, and anything that could be foraged or hunted. Seafood was especially popular in the mid-Atlantic due to the abundance of the Delaware River.
One of the Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson, had a refined taste for food and is credited with popularizing certain sweet treats in America, including ice cream and crème brulee. He personally ensured that his cooks, who were enslaved people, were trained in French cooking methods. Jefferson also introduced new edible crops to America, such as tomatoes, rice, soybeans, and tofu. He was a fan of crabs, oysters, and pineapple, and his favourite dessert was ice cream, which was a luxury only accessible to the wealthy until the mid-to-late 1800s when refrigeration and electric power were invented.
Another Founding Father, John Adams, is said to have enjoyed a simple diet, preferring a humble boiled dinner. However, his wife, Abigail, cooked with more flavour and flair, and her specialty was an apple pandowdy made from the apples harvested from their orchard each year. Adams also enjoyed hard cider, which he made from his own apple orchard.
Benjamin Franklin was also known for his love of sweets, especially his favourite drink, milk punch, a three-ingredient brandy-based cocktail made with milk and lemon juice. He also compiled the "Drinkers' Dictionary," a compendium of Colonial slang describing states of drunkenness, which was published in 1737 in the Pennsylvania Gazette, making him one of America's first food and drink writers.
While the Founding Fathers enjoyed a variety of sweet treats, it is important to recognise that many of these dishes were prepared by enslaved people who worked in their kitchens. These skilled cooks popularised the founders' favourite foods and deserve credit for their contributions to American cuisine.
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Maple syrup was a common sweetener
The use of maple syrup as a sweetener is mentioned in an account from the colonial period:
> "Shortly after we came to this place the squaws began to make sugar. We had no large kettles with us this year, and they made the frost, in some measure, supply the place of fire, in making sugar. Their large bark vessels, for holding the stock-water, they made broad and shallow; and as the weather is very cold here, it frequently freezes at night in sugar time; and the ice they break and cast out of the vessels. I asked them if they were not throwing away the sugar? they said no; it was water they were casting away, sugar did not freeze, and there was scarcely any in that ice."
In addition to maple syrup, colonists also used honey, molasses, and sugar beet as sweeteners. Honey had been used as a sweetener for millennia by various ancient civilisations, including the Chinese, Indians, Middle Easterners, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. However, it was a luxury item in colonial America, as it was difficult to transport and had to be imported from warmer climates. Molasses was the most common sweetener in 18th-century America due to its low cost and role in the triangular trade route. Sugar beet, on the other hand, was not a viable option for most colonists as it had not yet been selectively bred for high sucrose content and required significant time and resources to process.
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Honey was used to coat fruits and flowers
Before the widespread availability of sugar, honey was used as a sweetener and preservative. Honey was used to coat fruits and flowers, as well as the seeds or stems of plants, in a practice that was common among the ancient Chinese, Indians, Middle Easterners, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. This created sweetmeats that were used as ingredients in confectionery and preserves, which featured in Athenian banquets and Roman feasts.
Honey was a popular sweetener due to its natural occurrence and ease of extraction compared to sugar, which required specialized equipment like large kettles and involved a complex process of boiling, diluting, and skimming. Honey was also valued for its therapeutic and preventative functions, aiding in digestive troubles caused by the excessive intake of fresh food.
In addition to honey, other natural sweeteners were used during this time. Maple syrup, for example, was made by boiling the sap of maple trees and was used in a variety of dishes, both as a sweetener and a seasoning. Molasses, a byproduct of sugar production, also became a common sweetener in the 18th century due to its lower cost and availability through the triangular trade route.
While honey was an important sweetener in ancient cultures, the development of sugar refining and the drop in sugar prices over time led to a decrease in its use. By the 19th century, sugar beets and canes became more popular sources of sugar, and with technological advancements in refrigeration and electric power, sugar-based sweets became more accessible to the general population.
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Pumpkin innards were made into a sweet sauce
During this period, sugar was not readily available, and alternative sweeteners were used. Sugar beet, for example, was not a viable option as it had not yet been selectively bred for maximum sucrose yield. It was only 3-4% sucrose, making extraction time and resource-intensive.
Maple syrup was another popular sweetener, made by boiling the sap of maple trees. This was used in cooking and baking, as well as a sweet beverage for children. Other tree saps were also used, such as birch, box elder, and jack pine.
Molasses, a byproduct of sugar production, was the most common sweetener in 18th-century America due to its low cost. It was part of the triangular trade route, bringing molasses to New England to make rum, which was then traded for slaves.
In colonial America, the lack of transportation infrastructure meant that people ate what was locally available. In the mid-Atlantic region, seafood was popular due to the abundance of the Delaware River. The Founding Fathers, including Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin, had a sweet tooth and enjoyed desserts such as ice cream, apple pie, and apple pandowdy. They also drank wine, cocktails, and cider.
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Ice cream was a favourite dessert
The Founding Fathers of America certainly had a sweet tooth, and ice cream was a favourite dessert. Introduced to the New World in 1744, ice cream was initially only accessible to the wealthy, due to the high costs of the ingredients and the need for expensive refrigeration methods. However, Thomas Jefferson, who had a refined taste for food, was a big fan of the dessert and is even credited with popularising it. He made sure that his cooks were trained in French cooking methods, which enabled them to make technically difficult dishes, including ice cream.
Jefferson's love for ice cream was shared by George Washington, who was also known to indulge in the frozen treat. In fact, Washington once ordered 54 bottles of Madeira, 60 bottles of Claret, and 7 full bowls of punch in a single night. It is safe to assume that ice cream was a popular choice for dessert among the Founding Fathers, given their appreciation for fine food and drink.
Ice cream was not the only sweet treat enjoyed during the time of the Constitution. Due to the lack of transportation infrastructure, the Founding Fathers often consumed locally sourced foods, including legumes, produce, and seafood from the Delaware River. They also had access to sweeteners such as maple syrup and molasses, which were commonly used in cooking and baking.
The Founding Fathers' wives also played a role in popularising certain foods. For example, Abigail Adams, the wife of John Adams, was known for cooking with flavour and flair. Her specialty was an apple pandowdy, which she created from the annual apple harvest of their orchard.
While the Founding Fathers enjoyed a variety of sweets and desserts, ice cream held a special place in their hearts, or rather, their taste buds. It is intriguing to consider how the political history of America may have been influenced by the simple pleasure of a sweet, frozen treat.
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Frequently asked questions
During the colonial period, sugar was not readily available, so sweeteners such as maple syrup, honey, and molasses were used in cooking and confectionery.
Sweet foods included apple pandowdy, apple pie, ice cream, crème brulee, and pumpkin pie.
Drinks included hard cider, milk punch, and Madeira.
The Founding Fathers ate a variety of foods, including seafood, legumes, produce, and anything that could be foraged or hunted.
Yes, the Founding Fathers were known to enjoy sweets, with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson being big fans of ice cream.
![Historic Framed Print, [Blanche Sweet(?) in costume], 17-7/8" x 21-7/8"](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41LzFul5tCL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
![Historic Framed Print, [Blanche Sweet, full length, seated, facing front], 17-7/8" x 21-7/8"](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41P8873TwEL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
