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Dining with the Madisons: Elite Consumption at Montpelier

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Abstract

Recent research at James Madison’s Montpelier permits exploration of shifts in cuisine practices relating to the emergence of American cultural sensibilities, as well as in response to the greater international visibility and increased social and economic status of the household following Madison’s term as United States president. Prior to the presidency, zooarchaeological remains indicate that the household consumed high-quality cuts of meat from domesticated livestock, but that wild game also contributed significantly to the diet. After the presidency, costly meat cuts continued to be served on a well-appointed Madison table, but the overall diversity of the meat-based portion of the diet was reduced. The household increasingly focused its dietary strategy on a few locally produced, high-quality meats, likely in order to efficiently feed the many guests that visited Montpelier. Although English and French elite influences on cuisine are visible in the written record and material culture from Montpelier, the zooarchaeological evidence reflects the emergence of a distinctly American cuisine.

Extracto

Un estudio reciente llevado a cabo en James Madison’s Montpelier nos permite explorar los cambios en las prácticas culinarias en relación con la emergencia de una conciencia cultural estadounidense, así como en respuesta a una mayor visibilidad internacional y un estatus social y económico destacado de la residencia tras el mandato de Madison como presidente de EE. UU. Con anterioridad a su mandato, los restos zooarqueológicos indican que la residencia presidencial consumía cortes de carne de gran calidad procedente de la explotación ganadera, aunque la caza representaba una parte importante de la dieta. Tras su etapa como presidente, una mesa de Madison bien provista contaba invariablemente con costosas piezas de carne, aunque en general la variedad de la porción cárnica de la dieta se vio reducida. La estrategia alimentaria de la residencia fue aumentando su interés por una serie bastante reducida de carnes de gran calidad y producción local, con toda probabilidad para poder alimentar de manera adecuada a los numerosos invitados que visitaban Montpelier. Aunque se observan refinadas influencias de las gastronomías inglesa y francesa en los registros escritos y en la cultura de los materiales de Montpelier, los restos zooarqueológicos reflejan la emergencia de una cocina estadounidense bien diferenciada.

Résumé

Des recherches récentes réalisées à la propriété Montpelier de James Madison permettent d’explorer la transition des pratiques culinaires associée à l’émergence de sensibilités culturelles américaines ainsi qu’en réaction à la plus grande visibilité mondiale et l’amélioration des statuts social et économique du foyer à la suite du mandat de Madison à titre de président des États-Unis. Avant la présidence, des restes zooarchéologiques démontrent que le foyer consommait des coupes de viande de haute qualité provenant de bétail domestiqué, mais que son alimentation incluait aussi du gibier sauvage. Après la présidence, les Madison ont continué à servir des coupes de viande coûteuses à leurs tablées composées de personnalités, mais la diversité générale des viandes servies a diminué. Le foyer a de plus en plus centré sa stratégie alimentaire sur quelques viandes locales de haute qualité, vraisemblablement pour nourrir de façon rentable les nombreux invités qui visitaient Montpelier. Même si l’on peut, en étudiant les documents écrits et les ressources culturelles de Montpelier, noter des influences anglaises et françaises sur la cuisine, les preuves zooarchéologiques reflètent l’émergence d’une cuisine nettement américaine.

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Acknowledgments:

Funding for the analysis of zooarchaeological remains from Mount Pleasant and Montpelier was provided by the Montpelier Foundation. We would also like to thank Vincent LaMotta, Lauren Benz, and Lisa Janz for their contribution to the analysis of the zooarchaeological remains from Montpelier, and three anonymous reviewers for their thorough and helpful suggestions on how to improve this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, University of Maryland, 1111 Woods Hall, 4302 Chapel Lane, College Park, MD, 20742, U.S.A.

    Barnet Pavao-Zuckerman

  2. Cobb Institute of Archaeology, Mississippi State University, PO Box AR, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, U.S.A.

    Derek T. Anderson

  3. James Madison’s Montpelier, PO Box 911, Orange, VA, 22960, U.S.A.

    Matthew Reeves

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  1. Barnet Pavao-Zuckerman
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Correspondence to Barnet Pavao-Zuckerman.

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Pavao-Zuckerman, B., Anderson, D.T. & Reeves, M. Dining with the Madisons: Elite Consumption at Montpelier. Hist Arch 52, 372–396 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-018-0113-z

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