Cuisine of Antebellum America facts for kids
The cuisine of the antebellum United States describes how Americans ate and cooked between 1776 and 1861. During this time, different parts of the United States developed their own unique food traditions. These traditions were shaped by the local environment and various cultures. New technology also changed what people ate. Plus, simple taverns grew into fancy hotels, which led to the start of the American temperance movement. By the time the Civil War began, American food and eating habits were distinct from other parts of the world.
Contents
Eating Habits in Early America
Daily Meals and Dining
Breakfast was the second biggest meal of the day. It usually included a lot of meat or fish. Families ate this meal together. Dinner was the largest meal. It was served between noon and 3 PM. Eating dinner in the evening became popular later. This happened when men in cities started eating their midday meals away from home.
Afternoon teas were for women only. They were usually served around 4 PM and could last up to two hours. The 6 o'clock supper, or high tea, was a full meal. The whole family shared this meal.
Early Restaurants and Gatherings
Before restaurants became common, formal dinners happened in private homes. These were often very fancy events. For example, a dinner in 1830 celebrated Salem's 200th anniversary. It had 14 different dishes just for the first course. The second course included 11 types of roasted birds and meats. French-inspired dishes like chicken fricassee were still popular at these gatherings.
Food Influences in the 1800s
- Further information: Pie in American cuisine
Food in the 19th century was greatly influenced by British and European cooking. Savory puddings and pies from British cuisine were common. However, Americans started to prefer sweet puddings and pies. These dishes eventually became standard desserts.
West African dishes, ingredients, and cooking methods also influenced food during this time. Often, skilled enslaved people did the cooking for slave-owning families.
Americans generally had a healthier and more varied diet than people in Britain. This was because America had plenty of plants and land for raising meat. Before the American Revolution, the average American soldier was taller than the average British soldier.
French chefs first arrived in New Orleans in the early 1800s. They had a big impact on the city's food. Other French influences came from Americans like Thomas Jefferson who traveled to France. They brought back a liking for French food. French chefs were also hired by luxury hotels in New York City. Some French chefs even went to the San Francisco Bay Area during the California Gold Rush. They cooked for miners who wanted a fancy lifestyle.
However, not everyone in America liked French food. Some people disliked "fancy French cooking." This even affected the 1840 Presidential election. The Whig candidate, William Henry Harrison, was said to live on "raw beef and salt." Meanwhile, Martin Van Buren was criticized for liking French food. The French way of ordering meals "a la carte" (each dish separately) was seen as undemocratic. When the New York Hotel opened in 1844, local newspapers criticized its a la carte menu. They argued that offering different foods at different prices went against American values.
French influence on American food grew even more after the Civil War. Before the war, American food reflected "Republican virtue." This meant simpler, less showy meals. It was different from the more extravagant European and post-war food styles.
Popular Foods of the Era
Meats and Game
Most roasted meats were cooked over an open fireplace. Fresh meat was a luxury. It was usually only available for special events. Most people ate preserved meats, like salted or smoked lamb, beef, or pork.
Common game meats included rabbit, squirrel, venison, buffalo, and bear. Game was often eaten in rural areas. This was especially true for poorer people and those living on the frontier. Some enslaved people who could carry firearms also hunted game. Hunting wild turkeys and other game became so widespread that game laws were passed. General Winfield Scott, a famous food lover, called Maryland terrapin (a type of turtle) and canvasback ducks the best local foods of the time.
Cows and pigs were the most common animals raised for meat. Mutton and lamb were also eaten, often in dishes like Irish stew. This was mostly in the Northeast and Southwest regions.
Pigs were used everywhere in the United States. They were easy to raise, and Americans found many ways to eat their meat. One doctor even joked that the U.S. should be called "the great Hog-eating federacy." Pork was so common that a French traveler noted even poor Southerners were "better fed and clad here than in any other country."
Pigs were popular because they could find their own food. They ate scraps and foraged in the wild. In the South, pork was often cooked with corn. Northeasterners preferred bacon. Working-class people across America ate blood pudding. This was a mix of pork blood and chopped pork.
Dairy Products
Dairy foods like cheese were more common in the North. The cooler weather there helped keep them fresh. By the 1850s, ice and iceboxes were common in homes. This helped make ice cream more popular.
Fish and Shellfish
Fish was a very important food. Fresh fish was hard to transport and spoiled quickly. So, it was eaten close to the coast where it was caught. Wild fish from rivers, lakes, and streams were plentiful. They could be salted for storage and sale. Canned salmon and lobster were sent to inland markets by train. Big cities like New York and Philadelphia received fresh fish packed in ice from Massachusetts.
Common fish included catfish, salmon, perch, mackerel, bass, cod, flounder, haddock, trout, whitefish, sturgeon, snapper, and shad. Eels and sea turtles were also eaten. Various local shellfish were popular too. Fish chowder was a main dish in cuisine of New England. It was made with different fish, vegetables, and shellfish. Early recipes did not specify a certain type of fish.
Fruits
Fruits were seasonal and grown locally. People preserved fruits or cooked them in sugar syrup for pie fillings. Depending on the region, you could find apples, cherries, grapes, pears, strawberries, peaches, and rhubarb.
Grains
Like fruits, the types of grains available depended on the region. In the South, corn and rice were main foods. Wheat was more common in the upper Mississippi Valley.
Poultry
Turkey was widely eaten in early America. Wild turkeys were hunted so much that they almost disappeared from the East Coast by the Civil War. One Virginian noted that wild turkeys, once very common, were rarely seen anymore.
An Englishman observed in 1819 that he "did not recollect to have dined a single day without a turkey on the table." Recipes for turkey became an early difference from British cooking. The first American cookbook, American Cookery (1796), had five turkey recipes.
The idea of serving turkey specifically for Thanksgiving also started during this period. A man from Salem, Massachusetts, noted in 1806 that "a Thanksgiving is not complete without a turkey."
Besides turkey, Americans also ate chicken, goose, duck, guinea fowl, pigeons, quail, and grouse.
Puddings
Most puddings, whether sweet or savory, were boiled in special bags. These bags could be made of cloth or animal intestine.
Vegetables
Americans had many different vegetables. The most common were beans, beets, asparagus, corn, radishes, tomatoes, and turnips. Vegetables were often preserved by pickling. They were also boiled thoroughly and usually not eaten fresh.
Slave Diets
Enslaved people in the Southern United States mainly ate cornbread and beef. Beef was often considered less nutritious than pork. Enslaved people on plantations usually received about three pounds of pork per week. However, the beef ration was often two pounds per day. Enslaved people often got other meats, like ducks and turkeys, by hunting or from their masters or neighbors. Unlike meat, vegetables such as turnips, cabbage, and peas were plentiful for enslaved people.
Food Across Regions
Even though different parts of the United States had their own unique foods, some eating habits were the same everywhere. Pork and turkey were widely eaten and considered essential foods for Americans.
Northeast Cuisine
The Northeast had a lot of fish and shellfish. New York City was a hub for international foods. In 1850, it imported Sicilian oranges, Cuban bananas, Chilean pumpkins, and Vietnamese hens.
Southeast Cuisine
The American South was different from the rest of the country. This was largely due to African and plantation influences on its food. Large plantations often served huge meals in every Southern state.
Southern hospitality was very important during meals. One author noted that "The people of the southern states are generally much more hospitable than northerners."
The presence of enslaved Africans in the American South had a lasting impact on Southern food. Africans influenced dishes like gumbo. They also introduced foods such as okra, black-eyed peas, collards, yams, and melons. This was especially true in Louisiana and South Carolina.
Food in the West and Frontier
The frontier economy relied on hunting and gathering food. Early settlers depended heavily on wild buffalo and black bears. They smoked jerky to preserve the meat. Frontiersmen had to rely more on water.
Many immigrants traveling west, like those on the Oregon Trail, were not prepared. They suffered from bad water, exhaustion, and losing their livestock to predators. Towns at the start of trails often cheated customers by watering down their goods.
Special Occasions and Holidays
Fourth of July Celebrations
After the Revolutionary War, the Fourth of July was celebrated with picnics, fireworks, dances, and dinners. Food was a big part of the day. Meals were important social gatherings. Dinners were held at coffeehouses, schools, private homes, and taverns. The foods served changed with local customs. In the North, common foods included chowder, beef, clam soup, baked beans, roasted pork, custards, oxen, turtles, mutton, and salmon. By the early 19th century, dinners grew larger. Sometimes tickets were needed so cooks knew how many people to feed.
The Southern tradition focused on barbecues. They barbecued meats, but also fruits like peaches and watermelons. Ice cream was a popular dessert. Enslaved people sometimes joined the festivities. One account tells of pigs and sheep roasted in the ground with butter. Apple dumplings and peach cobbler were favorites "relished by all the slaves."
Changes in Food Technology
The old ways of cooking mostly stayed the same until about 1875, even after the Civil War. Most cooking was done over a hearth (an open fire) or using a coal or wood stove. Nearly everything was made at home. Cooks grew their own yeast for bread. They made gelatin by boiling pig's feet. They also made homemade ketchups (not just tomato, but also mushroom) and fruit preserves using fresh fruits.
Before refrigerators, food was preserved in many ways. The icebox, invented in 1802 by Thomas Moore, a Maryland farmer, greatly changed how Americans stored food. Perishable foods could now be kept fresh longer. By 1838, a newspaper noted that the icebox was now considered as necessary as a carpet or dining table.
Other inventions also changed American food. Machines like the McCormick reaper (1834), the Pitts mechanical thresher (1837), and the Marsh harvester (1858) helped the United States produce a lot of grain. This allowed America to sell grain to European markets.
In 1858, John Landis Mason invented the Mason jar. This was a new way to preserve fruits, vegetables, and jams in sealed jars.
Lasting Impact
The antebellum era ended with the start of the Civil War in 1861. However, American food stayed fairly consistent through the Gilded Age. Most soups from that time are still eaten today. Exceptions include Seminole soup (made with squirrel) and turtle soup. Some dishes continued to develop. For example, macaroni a la cardinale became popular later but was unknown before the war. Other changes included adding béchamel sauce to oyster patties. Or serving beef à la mode as a cold dish instead of a main course. Food historians say that the cooking styles and customs from the first half of the century lasted until the 1890s.
