English-born Ann Head Warder, wife of Philadelphia merchant John Warder, visited the United States in 1786-87 and kept a wonderfully descriptive journal for her sister Eliza to read. Food figures prominently, as you’ll see in the days leading up to Christmas.

11th mo. 5th. … Dine … on venison, the first I have eaten here, which I think preferable to ours, as the flavor is milder.

11th mo. 6th. … [Visited friends] had a good supper of oysters, in that freedom which we only feel when at home.

11th mo. 8th. … [dined again with friends] First rock fish, next mock turtle, ducks, ham and boiled turkey, with plenty of vegetables, and after these were removed, we had floating island, several kinds of pies with oranges and preserves. When we were well satisfied, left the men to their pipes and went up stairs to our chat. …

11th mo. 10th.—This morning most of the family busy preparing for a great dinner, two green turtles having been sent by Forbes & Stevens, of New Providence. … we concluded to dress them both together here and invited the whole family in. … We had a black women to cook and an elegant entertainment it was—having three tureens of soup, two shells baked besides several dishes of stew, with boned turkey, roast ducks, veal and beef. After these were removed the table was filled with two kinds of jellies, and various kinds of puddings, pies, and preserves; and then almonds, raisins, nuts, apples and oranges. Twenty-four sat down at table. I admired the activity of the lusty cook, who prepared everything herself, and charged for a day and a half but three dollars.

12th mo. 6th. … Little Billy Morris last night had convulsions and continued in them for several hours, but today he is recovering fast. The cause proved to be from eating too many raw cranberries, many of which he swallowed whole. People here are not half attentive to children’s food, they eat too many highly seasoned and rich things themselves and the dear babes partake with them. After dinner … out sleighing, which I found much more agreeable than expected. …

12th mo. 25th.—Our Christmas dinner consisted of a fine saddle of venison, with other things.

The excerpts do not appear in either of our books; rather, they represent new material from our ongoing research. They are from Ann Head Warder’s journal which appeared in The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography (Philadelphia: Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1894), Volume 18, pages 54, 55, 57-58.

Hannah Harrison married Charles Thomson, secretary to the Continental Congress (1774-1789), when she was forty-five. In 1785, she joined her husband in New York where Congress was meeting and lived there until his retirement in 1789. Hannah corresponded with a young cousin, John Mifflin, in Philadelphia, regaling him with amusing stories, one of which is in a letter of December 1786, which also included an invitation to Christmas dinner.

I am now at this Present writing a prisoner. Piles of Snow on each side of all our street only a narrow passage beaten in most all the streets. They visit, Jaunt, & go to Church in Sleighs. … I am afraid of meeting those flying machines in some of those narrow places. To keep out of danger, I stay at home. A few days ago, two Gentlemen were driving thro one of those narrow places with high banks of Snow on each side, they saw a Sleigh coming full tilt, the Horses had taken fright and disputed the way with all they met. The Gentlemen thought it the wisest way to save themselves to jump out of their Sleigh & leave their Horses to contend with each other, which they did, one droped down dead, and the other 3 almost dead. And so ended their frolick.
I wish cousin Isaac and you would come & eat yr Christmas dinner here. I will give you as good mince pies & as fat a turkey as you can procure either from Molly Newport on Market Street [Philadelphia]. You wd be delighted with the Visiting parties a wishing a happy New Year to each other and eating of Cukies*, a little cake made for the occasion.

* Cookies. It is said these were invented accidentally by a Dutch baker who was testing the oven for warmth. He called them koekje.

This excerpt is from In the Words of Women, Chapter 8, page 226.

With the British threatening Philadelphia in 1777, Sarah “Sally” Wister and her siblings had been taken by their parents for safety to a relative in North Wales, Pennsylvania. The well-educated sixteen-year-old was delighted when General William Smallwood of Maryland, asked to use the house as his headquarters. Unable to post letters because of the fighting, she chronicled her flirtations and other news in a journal for her best friend Deborah Norris in Philadelphia to read later.

To Deborah Norris.
Tho’ I have not the least shadow of an opportunity to send a letter, if I do write, I will keep a sort of journal of the time that may expire before I see thee, the perusal of it may some time hence give pleasure in a solitary hour. …
5th day septm 26th … our cousin Jesse heard that Gen Howe’s Army had move down towards Philadelphia, Then my dear our hopes & fears were engage’d for you however my advice is summon up all your resolution, call Fortitude to your aid, dont suffer your spirits to sink, my dear; theres nothing like courage, tis what I stand in need of myself but unfortunately have little of it in my composition. …

Oct the 19th 1777 [20th] seconday. … [in] the afternoon Cousin Prissa [Priscilla] and myself were sitting at thee door I in a green skirt dark short gown, &c. Two genteel men of the military order rode up to the door. Your servant ladies, &c ask’d if they cou’d have quarters for Genl Smallwood. Aunt [Hannah] Foulke thought she cou’d accommodate them … one of the officers dismounted and wrote Smallwoods quarters over the door which secur’d us from straggling soldiers. After this he mounted his steed and rode away. When we were alone [our] dress and lips were put in order for conquest and the hopes of adventures gave brightness to each before passive countenance. … I feel in good spirits tho surrounded by an Army, the house full of officers, yard alive with soldiers, very peaceable sort of men tho’, they eat like other folks, talk like them, and behave themselves with elegance, so I will not be afraid of them. That I wont. Adieu I am going to my chamber to dream, I suppose, of bayonets and swords, sashes, guns, and epaulets. …

Third day [Oct. 28] . … when will sallys admirers appear? ah that indeed. Why Sally has not charms sufficient to pierce the heart of a soldier, but I won’t dispair.
Who knows what mischief I yet may do. …

Surprisingly, Sally never married.

These excerpts are from In the Words of Women, Chapter 4, pages 116-17. Sarah Wister’s silhouette is in the Portrait Collection of The Historical Society of Pennsylvania.

Jemima Condict, the daughter of a New Jersey farmer, like many other women, felt a need to put her thoughts on paper. She kept a journal and explained why: “Sometimes after our people is gone to Bed I get my Pen for I Dont know how to Content myself without writeing Something.” This is her journal entry for Saturday October 1, 1774.

It seams we have troublesome times a Coming for there is a great Disturbance a Broad in the earth & they say it is tea that caused it. So then if they will Quarel about such a trifling thing as that What must we expect But war & I think or at least fear it will be so.

She was, of course, right. War did come. Here is what Jemima wrote on April 23, 1775.

As every Day Brings New Troubels So this Day Brings News that yesterday very early in the morning They Began to fight at Boston. The regulors [British] We hear Shot first there; they killd 30 of our men A hundred & 50 of the Regulors.

These excerpts are from In the Words of Women, the first from Chapter 1, page 23, the second from page 29. The illustration is from The Boston Tea Party Historical Society.

Elizabeth and Abigail Foote of Colchester, Connecticut, documented their busy, daily routines in journals. Although Elizabeth was aware that fighting had broken out in Boston and baked biscuits to help feed those who were resisting the British, it is the day-in, day-out work that dominates the sisters’ diaries. The details they provide—and the fact that they found time amid endless chores to chronicle their everyday activities—are impressive. Here is a sample from Elizabeth Foote’s journal:

[Thursday April 13, 1775]—I made a gown for Mrs. [Amos] Wells and about noon went to Mr. Jones, from thence to Mr. Otis’s and Hannah came home with me to work and we fixed our wheels to spin linen and Mrs. Wells owed me 7s 6d for my work being 7 per day.
Tuesday 18—I rose before the sun and made apple pies and dumplins for breakfast and Lura Jones and Sally Otis came back with us last night we meeting of them and so stay’d to breakfast, but they said they would not if it had not rained. I did housework and spool’d a little. …
Thursday 20—I did housework and made gowns for Lieut. Wells’s wife. At night it rained and they stayed all night. In the morning they paid me the money and so went home.
Friday 21—In the morning we heard they had begun to fight at Boston. About noon there came an Indian and his wife (he said it was) here and I bought a snuff bottle of ’em with bread and cheese and cider. I did housework and quilled [quilted] for Ellen as I have done all this week.
Saturday 22—I just got the work done up and the quilts filled when Jonah came and telled me to go making biscuit for to carry to fight the regulars [British] which I did and baked a pudding and you may guess at the rest. …
Tuesday 25—Morning milked the cows and went to Capt. Caverly’s but came right back to get some bacon and beef tongues for Mr. Wilde on the town’s cost, which weighed 8 lb 12 oz and Jonas Cleavland had 13 lb pork and 7 lb 8 oz of cheese on the town cost last Saturday.

Abigail Foote noted in her journal:

[June 1775] Thursday 29—I begun to spool a piece for Israels [their brother] shirts and a little before night went down to Mr. Caverlys old house to pick some cherries.
July [1775] Sunday 9—I stayed at home in the forenoon and made cheese. In the afternoon I rid Israels mare to Antioch.
Wednesday 12—I went to Mr. Otis’s and spooled some of Mrs. Wright’s yarn and come home about noon and sot my piece to work and Eliza Wells was here and I helped Israel pole hay a little.
Monday 17—Israel killed a calf and I dressed the feet and went and carried some veal to Noah Foots and there was a thunder shower [in the] afternoon.

Like all diarists, Elizabeth Foote sometimes found it difficult to keep her journal up to date.

[October Wednesday 18 1775]—I forgot what I did.
Tuesday 24—I lay a bed till sun an hour high. I got up and carded a little while and then writ journal for 2 weeks back and Alice went home sick after she had spun 4 knots. Procrastination is surely the thief of time.

This excerpt is from In the Words of Women, Chapter 1, pages 39-40.