The Chef Behind the President’s Kitchen

Chef Hercules, also known as Uncle Harkles, was a cornerstone for the President’s culinary staff. He was summoned by President George Washington to work in the white house kitchen as an enslaved cook. AlthoughHercules was an enslaved cook, by today’s standard his title would be “chef.” This can be attributed to the culinary masterpieces he produced to feed the first family.

Enslaved cooks went hand in hand with being a chef for many slaves. Hercules started off ferrying boats but later transitioned into the kitchen as a cook. He excelled in the kitchen and was eventually promoted to head chef where he worked alongside assistant cooks, including his enslaved son, Richmond. Cooking and preparing dishes was a strenuous and dangerous task due to the lack of technology available during that era. Although no specific recipes can be attached to his name a menu of a dinner that was prepared is documented and included a variety of roast beef, veal, turkey, ducks, fowls, hams, puddings, jellies, oranges, apples, nuts, almonds, figs, raisins, and a variety of wines and punches.  

Hercules was given special privileges while working as a chef. He was able to make a profit from selling the leftovers that he cooked for the President. Hercules was both a culinary artist and a “prized possession” for the Washingtons. The talents that he possessed did not take away from the fact that he was still very much a slave. Washington would not allow his slaves to stay in Pennsylvania for longer than 6 months at a time due to the Gradual Abolition Act of 1780. This law freed any enslaved person who stayed on Pennsylvania soil for more than six consecutive months. Washington would take his slaves back to Mount Vernon before the 6 months to avoid the Pennsylvania law. In 1797, Hercules was assigned to be a regular laborer in Mount Vernon instead of his usual duty as a chef. After the new regular laborer assignment, like many slaves, he ran away to gain his freedom.

This post was brought to you by Loretta Grant

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