Book Description

Tea in 18th Century America gives the reader insight into the importance of tea in the Colonial and the early Federal era. The book begins with an introduction to the history of tea and its journey to the shores of America. Then, while giving credit to the research done by Rodris Roth in the 1960s, additional extensive research utilizing period newspapers, historic texts, period portraits and prints is added that immerses the reader into the Colonial American world. Included within are chapters on when colonists drank tea and instructions on how to understand 18th century recipes, as well as how to identify foods that are perfect to prepare and then eat when having your own tea party. From dessert collations and preparation notes for each recipe to descriptions of how food was given color and even how medicinal teas were used to cure ills, this book covers a wide variety of interesting topics. A bonus chapter focuses on the life of Charles Carroll the Barrister's wife, Margaret Tilghman Carroll, during her time at Mount Clare in Baltimore, Maryland. Mrs. Carroll kept an account book that included an inventory on tea items she owned and recipes she wrote down within it. That book is preserved in the Maryland Historical Society library.