King Manor in Context
Sugar Ornaments
Sugar wasn’t so sweet.
In the early 1800s, sugar was a very special and popular commodity. Although most everyone in the United States used it, it was still expensive, in part because of how far it had to travel in order to get to the United States. Sugar mostly came from large sugar cane plantations in the Caribbean. Sadly, these plantations were also horrible places, where Black and indigenous people were enslaved by white colonials and forced to work long, hard hours in a very dangerous job. Growing and processing sugar cane was hot, exhausting work, and being badly burnt while boiling the sugar down was common. Heat exhaustion and burns were often fatal.
Once sugar made it to the United States, it could be used in baking and preserving food (like jam and pickles). But wealthier people also used it to make beautiful table decorations displayed at fancy gatherings. They would either shape it in molds or they might hire an artist who would create incredible sculptures (top left), all out of sugar dough.
Grades 4+: Critical Thinking Challenge!
Rufus King, who lived at King Manor from 1805-1827, was very much against slavery and did important work in government trying to end slavery in the United States. But we also know he still purchased sugar for the cook to use at King Manor, even though at the time he could only buy sugar that had been produced through enslaved labor.
- What do you think about that? Would you have made a different decision? Why or why not?
- Why do you think Rufus still bought the sugar?
- Can you think of anything that we purchase today that might be made by people who aren’t being treated fairly by those they work for?
An acacia tree growing in Serengeti National Park, in the country of Tanzania.
The science behind sugar ornaments
Gum arabic is a resin, gum, or sap that comes from several species of Acacia trees that grow in many tropical and subtropical places worldwide. Gum arabic is used in many, many recipes, and has been for centuries. It is in your soda, your snacks, in paint, in glue, even the adhesive on postage stamps. Gum arabic is a stabilizer, which is something that helps food to keep its structure – and that will also help your ornament stay in one shape. In your sugar dough, this is the binding agent. A binding agent is a substance that holds or draws other materials together, causing a chemical reaction or acting as an adhesive, to form a compound (a mixture of two or more parts).
Water has very high cohesion (it sticks to itself), and adhesion (it sticks to other substances). Gum arabic and sugar are both soluble in water, which means they will dissolve in water. When dissolved, the gum arabic and sugar molecules will be attracted to the ‘sticky’ water molecules. As the molecules rearrange, the gum arabic will bind everything together, creating a paste that can be molded like dough.
Activity: Make your own sugar ornaments!
In this activity, you’ll be making your own sugar dough ornaments with cookie cutters. You can also use molds if you happen to have them, or you can always attempt to sculpt it into a work of art if you manage to get a stiff-enough dough!
You will need:
2 cups of powdered sugar
¼ cup of powdered gum arabic (or corn starch)
About 3 tablespoons of water (if you have rose water, you can use that too for a scented ornament!)
Cookie cutters (or a knife)
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar and your gum arabic (or other thickener). Mix thoroughly.
Now add your water, one tablespoon at a time. Begin mixing with a fork, and add more water as you need to. Keep an eye as you mix to make sure you don’t add too much water and your dough becomes too goopy! It will often depend on how humid the day is, if you need less water or more.
When your dough is stiff, but still crumbly, put aside your fork and start using your hands. Knead the dough until it looks like cookie dough. It should be smooth and malleable and you should be able to roll it into balls and logs, like Play-Dough.
Wrap your dough tightly in a plastic bag and set aside at room temperature for about 20 min. Make sure the bag is sealed or your dough will dry out.
When 20 mins have passed (or when your ball is stiff but still malleable), roll your dough flat and cut out shapes with cookie cutters or a knife.
Store your ornaments in a cool, very dry place. Wait until your ornaments are completely dry. This may take a day or two.
Having trouble?
It might just be the weather. Making sugar sculptures and ornaments is a very precise process and depends a lot on the environment. If it's humid and rainy, this can add trace amounts of moisture to the ornament and affect your results. If all else fails, just have fun playing with your sugar dough!
Further Reading
Check out these further online resources for more information!
SLAVERY IN THE CARIBBEAN
Plantation Life. Understanding Slavery Initiative — http://www.understandingslavery.com/index.php-option=com_content&view=article&id=309&Itemid=221.html
An introduction to the Caribbean, empire, and slavery. The British Library — https://www.bl.uk/west-india-regiment/articles/an-introduction-to-the-caribbean-empire-and-slavery
Enslaved people’s work on sugar plantations. The Saint Lauretia Project — https://runaways.gla.ac.uk/minecraft/index.php/slaves-work-on-sugar-plantations
18th Century Enslaved Women’s Headwrap Tutorial. Not Your Momma’s History — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ18sjoBtXE
SUGAR SCULPTURES
The Edible Monument: The Art of Food for Festivals. The Getty Research Institute — http://www.getty.edu/research/exhibitions_events/exhibitions/edible/index.html
How to Make a Renaissance Sugar Sculpture. Pleasant Vices, The British Museum — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pqcd29ZBVTg (Note: While our sugar sculptures are 19th century and not Renaissance period, they are very similar processes!)