King Manor Museum

We’ll be offering a new workshop in Fall 2012 to complement our Rufus King: Anti-Slavery Founding Father program. Students divide into groups and read excerpts of letters that Rufus King wrote to his sons in the days before and after his 1820 anti-slavery speeches. After sharing their discoveries with their classmates, museum education staff explain the Denmark Vesey trials to students and read and explain an editorial written during those trials in Charleston, South Carolina. One section of that editorial blames “northerners who agitated on the Missouri question” for the executions the events of “required.” In early August 1822, Rufus — one of those agitators – received a copy of that editorial and a hand-drawn image of a gallows with the letters “R. King” at the end of the rope. Students are asked to respond to that editorial in the name of Rufus King; the following is one of the examples produced by a class from P.S. 49 in Middle Village – amazing work!

(more…)

No source is cited but, according to

The Early American Cookbook: Authentic Favorites

by Historical Figures by Dr. Kristie Lynn and Robert W. Pelton, Rufus King’s favorite apple fritters were made following this recipe:

1 cup flour, sifted
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, well beaten
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons butter, melted
2 large apples, pared and sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large wooden mixing bowl. Combine the egg, milk, and butter in another bowl, them add to the dry ingredients. Beat until smooth. Chill this batter to make the fritters lighter. Meanwhile, sprinkle apple slices with lemon juice, nutmeg, cinnamon and sugar. Dip apple slices in the chilled batter and deep fry in hot butter for 5 minutes, or until brown.