Van Rensselaer Manor Papers

Fragment of a Tavern Account

Seemingly mundane accounts relative to food and beverages can provide insights into culture and society at the time.  A fragment of an invoice from a tavern ca. 1670 reveals that blacks were employed as servants for the van Rensselaer family. Stating that wine (for consumption at home) was fetched by Van Rensselaer's negro: … wijn gehalt door de neger… a clear indication of blacks having been employed by the van Rensselaer family.

Fragment of a tavern account, [ca. 1670]