Listen as historian William
Seales,
author of The
President's House, describes the White House
Kitchen during the Jefferson and Madison eras and the tells
the story of John Freeman, the butler and Paul Jennings who
worked in the kitchen—two
slaves who stayed behind until the very end when the White
House was being burned down by the British in 1814.
Hercules as described by
George Washington's adopted son.
The chief cook would have been termed in modern parlance,
a celebrated artiste. He was named Hercules,
and familiarly termed Uncle Harkless. Trained in the mysteries
of his part from early youth, and in the palmy days of Virginia,
when her thousand chimneys smoked to indicate the generous
hospitality that reigned throughout the whole length and
breadth of her wide domain, Uncle Harkless was, at the period
of the first presidency, as highly accomplished a proficient
in the culinary arts as could be found in the United States.
He was a dark-brown man, little, if any above the usual size,
yet possessed of such great muscular power as to entitle
him to be compared with his namesake of fabulous history.
The chief cook gloried in the cleanliness and nicety
of his kitchen. Under his iron discipline, wo[e] to his
underlings if speck or spot could be discovered on the
tables or dressers, or if the utensils did not shine like
polished silver. With the luckless wights who had offended
in these particulars there was no arrest of punishment,
for judgment and execution went hand in hand.The steward,
and indeed the whole household, treated the chief cook
with such respect, as well for his valuable services as
for his general good character and pleasing manners.
It was while preparing the Thursday or Congress dinner
that Uncle Harkless shone in all his splendor. During his
labors upon this banquet he required some half dozen aprons,
and napkins out of number. It was surprising the order and
discipline that was observed in so bustling a scene. His
underlings flew in all directions to execute his orders,
while he, the great master-spirit, seemed to possess the
power of ubiquity, and to be everywhere at the same moment.
When the steward in snow-white apron, silk shorts and stockings,
and hair in full powder, placed the first dish on the table,
the clock being on the stroke of four, "the labors of
Hercules" ceased.
While the masters of the republic were engaged in discussing
the savory viands of the Congress dinner, the chief cook
retired to make his toilet for an evening promenade. His
prerequisites from the slops of the kitchen were from one
to two hundred dollars a year. Though homely in person, he
lavished the most of these large avails upon dress. In making
his toilet his linen was of unexceptional whiteness and quality,
then black silk shorts, ditto waistcoat, ditto stockings,
shoes highly polished, with large buckles covering a considerable
part of the foot, blue cloth with velvet collar and bright
metal buttons, a long watch-chain dangling from his fob,
a cocked-hat and gold-headed cane completed the grand costume
of the celebrated dandy (for there were dandies in those
days) of the president's kitchen.
Thus arrayed, the chief cook invariably passed out at the
front door, the porter making a low bow, which was promptly
returned. Joining his brother-loungers of the pave, he proceeded
up Market street, attracting considerable attention, that
street being, in the old times, the resort where fashionables "did
most congregate." Many
were not a little surprised to behold so extraordinary a
personage, while others who knew him would make a formal
and respectful bow, that they might
receive in return the salute of one of the most polished
gentlemen and the veriest dandy of nearly sixty years ago.
— George
Washington Parke Custis
Samuel
Fraunces was another one of Washington's cooks. Born
in Caribbean of black and white parents. Keeping with
the fashion of the time, he wore a powdered wig. Fraunces
owned one of the finest taverns in colonial New York
City. When Washington arrived in Philadelphia in 1790
as President, Fraunces came with him as his personal
cook and established a business referred to later as
the Golden Tun Tavern. Fraunces's Tavern was the social
center of the city. It was there in 1768 that the Commerce
was organized. It was here in 1774 that the Sons of Liberty
planned a New York "Tea
Party." It was here finally that' George Washington
bade farewell to his officers at the end of the Revolutionary
War.
Listen as culinary historian, organic
gardener and author, William
Woys Weaver describes Philadelphia's outdoor market
where Chef Hercules shopped during the 1790s and where
George Washington sent his kitchen staff out to buy
up all of "George
Washington's Favorite," a yellow apple, which is
now extinct.
In
the early 1800s, African Americans cornered the market in the
catering business in Philadelphia. Historians Sharron
Conrad and William Woys Weaver talk about how these catering families
became the arbiters of taste for the wealthy white community.
W.E.B.
Du Bois wrote that
the African-American caterers "as
remarkable a trade guild as ever ruled in a medieval city. [The
caterers] took complete leadership of the bewildered group of
Negroes, and led them steadily on to a degree of affluence, culture
and respect such as has probably never been surpassed in the
history of the Negro in America." We've included an excerpt
from his book "Negro
in Philadelphia: A Social Study " written
in 1899 where he talks about the Guild of Caterers.
Excerpt
- Guild of the Caterers 1840-1870 - by W.E.B.
DuBois
The outlook for the Negro in Philadelphia about 1840 was
not encouraging. Riots and the tide of prejudice and economic
proscription drove so many Negroes from the city that the
black population actually showed a decrease in the decade
1840-50. Worse than this, the good name of the Negroes in
the city had been lost through the increased crime and the
undeniably frightful condition of the Negro slums. The foreign
element gained all the new employments which the growing
industries of the State opened, and competed for the trades
and common vocations. The outlook was certainly dark. It
was at this time that there arose to prominence and power
as remarkable a trade guild as ever ruled in a mediaeval
city. It took complete leadership of the bewildered group
of Negroes, and led them steadily on to a degree of affluence,
culture and respect such as has probably never been surpassed
in the history of the Negro in America. This was the guild
of the caterers, and its masters include names which have
been household words in the city for fifty years: Bogle,
Augustin, Prosser, Dorsey, Jones and Minton. To realize just
the character of this new economic development we must not
forget the economic history of the slaves. At first they
were wholly house servants or field hands. As city life in
the colony became more important, some of the slaves acquired
trades, and thus there arose a class of Negro artisans. Indeed
it is probable that between 1790 and 1820 a very large portion,
and perhaps most, of the artisans of Philadelphia were Negroes.
In 1837 only about 350 men out of a city population of 10,500
Negroes, pursued trades, or about one in every twenty adults.
To the more pushing and energetic Negroes only two courses
were open : to enter into commercial life in some small way,
or to develop certain lines of home service into a more independent
and lucrative employment. The whole catering business, arising
from
an evolution shrewdly, persistently and tastefully directed,
transformed the Negro cook and waiter into the public caterer
and restaurateur, and raised a crowd of underpaid menials
to become a set of self-reliant, original business men, who
amassed fortunes for themselves and won general respect for
their people.
The first prominent Negro caterer was Robert
Bogle, who,
early in the century, conducted an establishment on Eighth
street, near Sansoin. In his day he was one of the best known
characters of Philadelphia, and virtually created the business
of catering in the city. He was the butler of the smart set,
and his taste of hand and eye and palate set the fashion
of the day. This functionary filled a unique place in a time
when social circles were very exclusive, and the millionaire
and the French cook had not yet arrived. Bogle's place was
eventually taken by Peter Augustin, a West Indian immigrant,
who started a business in 1818 which is still carried on.
It was the Augustin establishment that made Philadelphia
catering famous all over the country. The best families of
the city, and the most distinguished foreign guests, were
served by this caterer. Other Negroes soon began to crowd
into the field thus opened. The Prossers, father and son,
were prominent among these, perfecting restaurant catering
and making many famous dishes. Finally came the triumvirate
Jones, Dorsey and Minton, who ruled the fashionable world
from 1845-1875.
Such men wielded great personal influence, aided the Abolition
cause to no little degree, and made Philadelphia noted for
its cultivated and well-to-do Negro citizens. Their conspicuous
success opened opportunities for Negroes in other lines. — Excerpt
from Chapter 4 of W.E.B. DuBois's book
"Negro in Philadelphia"
W.E.B. and
Shirley
Graham Du Bois with the sisters Nelson, Davia
and Jessie. Los Angeles
"Chefs
and Slaves: The Cooks in Jefferson’s Kitchens.” -
Leni Sorenson
For twenty-five years Leni Sorensen has
lectured on African American history, and the lives of women
in early America. She is a graduate of the MA-PhD program
at the College of William and Mary. She lives in rural
Virginia where she teaches and lectures on culinary history. This
is an excerpt from her foodways lecture series entitled“Fossett,
Gillette, Hemings, and Hern: Putting Names to Monticello’s
Cooks.” Her lecture and research is part of a larger
book project with the working title “Chefs and Slaves:
The Cooks in Jefferson’s Kitchens.”
“Fosset
and Hern: Putting Names to Monticello Cooks”
Edith Hern
Fossett and Frances Gillette Hern, two young women from Monticello were trained
at the President’s House to meet the demands of Thomas Jefferson’s
dining preferences—food that was in a ‘half Virginian, helf French
style.” In 1802, Edith Fossett, at age 15, began training as a cook under
Jefferson’s chef Honoré Julian. She was joined there in
1806 by her eighteen year old sister-in-law Frances Hern. The results
can be seen by the reports of their meals; “Never before had such dinners
been given in the President’s House,” said one Washington resident.
The main
duty for the daughters of the white household was supervising stored goods. Almost
all foodstuffs were kept under lock and key. Thus planning meals by checking
on available resources, maintaining the condition of preserved vegetables and
meats, and portioning out amounts for a day’s menu took a constant series
of nuanced interactions between ‘she of the keys’ and ‘she
of the kitchen.’ Edith and Frances cooked in Jefferson’s
kitchen at Monticello for sixteen years. During her long servitude head
cook Edith Fossett also gave birth to ten children.
Epilogue:
Thomas Jefferson died in the summer of 1826. At the
estate sale in 1827, among 130 other people, assistant cook
Francis Hern, her husband David and their children were sold. Edith’s
husband, Joseph Fossett was freed in Jefferson’s will,
but Edith and eight of their children were sold. Fossett
was finally able to buy and free Edith and several children. By
the late 1840s the Fossett family had moved to Ohio.
Slave gardens at the
estate of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello
Approximate ration of food (cornmeal, fish,
and pork) given to each adult slave per
week at Monticello
