Master's Theses

Department

History

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Abstract

This thesis began as an inquiry into a simple question. How did people in the American colonies talk about the food that they ate? This question led to a fascinating look into the social dynamics of the people living in eighteenth century America. Their own personal writings demonstrate how they understood their place in society through the food that they ate. Moreover, they often wrote about the way that other people ate in ways that alienated or discriminated against different ethnic groups. A look into the secondary historiography revealed that other historians had noticed this trend. However, very few addressed it directly. Their work highlights it as tangential to the arguments that they intended to make.

Each chapter of the research presented here analyzes a different aspect of the trend of othering. With the exception of the last, these chapters are dedicated to a different classification of person that was experienced othering through the lens of taste. These classifications include race, religion, economic status, and gender. The final chapter analyzes another fascinating component of taste-based othering. That is that those at the top of colonial society often did not follow the expectations that they imposed on those beneath them.

Finally, this thesis attempts to act as a sensorial history. A sensorial history tells a story of the past through the experiences of at least one of the five senses. In this case, the reader is invited to better understand the lives of those living in eighteenth century colonies through the medium of taste. Special attention is paid to the flavor experiences so that you, as the reader, may more fully appreciate the humanity of the subjects. In this way, the separation between the past and the present becomes less stark.

Keywords

United States, culinary, cultural history, cookbooks, British Empire

Advisor

Dr. Marco Macias

Date of Award

Fall 2025

Document Type

Thesis

Rights

© The Author

Comments

For questions contact ScholarsRepository@fhsu.edu

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