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Historic Jamestowne Sidney King painting of the building of James Fort in 1607
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Historic Jamestowne
Blackeyed Peas
black-eyed peas
 
Originally known as cowpeas, this legume as an important part of the West African diet. Thomas Jefferson preferred it to English field peas, praising it as “… very productive, excellent food for man and beast.” An early Virginia cookbook included a recipe for fired cakes made of mashed black-eyed peas, a delicacy prepared by West Africans since the Middle Ages.
 
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Young boy dressing up as Samuel Collier, one of the four boys brought to Jamestown

Did You Know?
Of the first 104 English settlers at Jamestown in 1607, four were boys. Several boys were sent to live with the Powhatans so they could learn the language and customs and then return to the English to become interpreters.
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Last Updated: March 08, 2009 at 16:29 MST