3. Colonial Herbalism
What was healthcare like in America from 1607-1775? For one, they couldn’t rely on local doctors or dentists being available! Instead, herbs played a major role in every family’s home. Early pilgrim journals indicate favorite plants, whose seeds were chosen to be among the precious little space they had on their voyages across the ocean. We are in a period of time where many people are looking into their ancestral history. Whether via DNA or family trees, people are curious about where they came from, and I believe that having this knowledge helps us to create a vision for the future. What did the pilgrims bring with them to America? What did colonialists grow in their kitchen gardens? How did they keep their families safe and healthy? Listen to this episode to learn about my family heritage, as well as some of the common plants (many of which we are quite familiar with!) they chose prioritize in their new homeland. To learn more, check out A Midwife’s Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, The Compleat Housewife by Eliza Smith, and works by Nicholas Culpeper. Post script: It occurred to me that pilgrims would have also used animal fat to preserve herbs, so this may have been an alternative to the oils and waxes available in Europe at that time.