What were the typical cooking spices found in an American household in the late 1700s? Would there have been much difference in the 1800s?

by Kangar
elmoteca

I used to work at a historic site that focused on this very time period. I can tell you that you'll see most of the same herbs and spices you'd see today. To name a few, you'd see parsley, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, ginger, black pepper, hot peppers, allspice, licorice root, cloves, garlic, and mustard seed. Much was grown at home, if possible, but imports were available, and not only to the wealthy. Of course, all imports became scarce during the Revolution, considering the superiority of the British Navy.

Cost was still an important factor. For example, surviving recipes from the period show significantly less sugar use than the modern diet, mostly due to the cost of sugar. This actually ties in to the second part of your question. The cost of sugar dropped in the first half of the 19th century as the sugar beet allowed sugar to be produced in temperate climates.

I'm afraid I can't tell you too much more about the 19th century, and I don't want to speculate, but hopefully I've answered the first part of your question. If you have any questions about a specific spice, I'll try to answer it, but the kitchen was not my main area.